History Trivia / Platoon

* DoingItForTheArt: This movie was Creator/OliverStone's dream project.

* EnforcedMethodActing: This was the first film where the actors had to go through basic training similar to the real military to get them into character and act like real soldiers. Dale Dye actually approached Creator/OliverStone with the idea after being unsatisfied with the depiction of soldiers in previous war films and trained them himself. The success eventually led to him becoming the go to professional for actors' boot camps.

!!ImageSource for:

* CrucifiedHeroShot
* SociopathicSoldier

* TroubledProduction: The filming was almost cancelled due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Power_Revolution a revolution]] happening in the Philippines, which was used for CaliforniaDoubling. Creator/WillemDafoe remarked that it was "[[https://youtu.be/b5fNif_WGdc?t=181 an incredible feeling because a revolution happened]]" while he was in the streets waiting for the filming to resume.

* TroubledProduction: The filming was almost cancelled due to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Power_Revolution a revolution]] happening in the Philippines, which was used for CaliforniaDoubling. Creator/WillemDefoe remarked that it was "[[https://youtu.be/b5fNif_WGdc?t=181 an incredible feeling because a revolution happened]]" while he was in the streets waiting for the filming to resume.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Movies: #83
** AFIS100Years100Thrills: #72
** AFIS100Years100Movies10THAnniversaryEdition: #86
* BackedByThePentagon: Averted[=/=]Defied. The military refused to have anything to do with this film.
* [[BannedInChina Banned in Vietnam and Malaysia]]: The former for having the American soldiers destroy a village. The latter for its excessive profanity and violence.

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

* ActorInspiredElement: Several of the actors wrote messages on their helmets worn throughout the movie. Creator/CharlieSheen's helmet reads, "When I die, bury me upside-down, so the world can kiss my ass", while Creator/JohnnyDepp's simply reads, "Sherilyn", a tribute to Sherilyn Fenn, whom Depp was dating at the time. Mark Moses (Lieutenant Wolfe) had on his helmet a drawing of MAD magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman with the phrase "What, me worry?" and, according to Tom Berenger, this caused Creator/OliverStone to laugh hysterically once during filming.

** Creator/KevinCostner was offered the role of Barnes, but he turned it down, as he had a brother who served in Vietnam and didn't want to disrespect him. Creator/ThomasFWilson applied for the role, but lost out.

** Creator/WilliamPetersen turned down an unspecified role because the filming schedule would have kept him abroad from his family for six weeks.

** John Spencer was originally cast as Sergeant O'Neill, and John C. [=McGinley=] was originally offered the part of Tony. But Spencer dropped out, and Stone offered [=McGinley=] the larger role. Ivan Kane ended up playing Tony.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/OliverStone was very rough and abusive in his treatment of the actors during filming. According to John C. McGinley, everyone hated Stone for the entire duration of the shoot, but this was Stone's specific aim, in order to expose the cast to something resembling the horrors of war and get the most realistic performances. Most cast and crew members agree that Stone's behavior sometimes bordered on psychotic, from a combination of sleep deprivation, post-traumatic stress disorder and the intensity of the shoot itself. The editor claimed that one day, Stone yelled at him for taking away footage of a scene that they hadn't even shot yet. Creator/JohnnyDepp recalled that during one particularly stressful scene, he was so intimidated by Stone's aggressive behavior that he came close to vomiting. Stone still insisted on a second take.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/OliverStone wanted to cast Creator/JohnnyDepp as Chris, but the studio felt he was too young and he got a smaller part. Ironically, Sheen is three years younger than Depp.

** Creator/JeffBridges was considered for Elias and Creator/DenzelWashington was interested. Creator/ValKilmer auditioned for the role. According to Stone, he gave a bizarre audition where he portrayed the character as an Indian shaman.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/OliverStone wanted to cast Creator/JohnnyDepp as Chris, but the studio felt he was too young and he got a smaller part. Ironically, Sheen is three years younger than Depp. He got the much smaller role of Gator Lerner.

** Creator/OliverStone wanted to cast Creator/JohnnyDepp as Chris, but the studio felt he was too young and he got a smaller part. Ironically, Sheen is three years younger than Depp.

** Creator/JohnCusack, Creator/KyleMacLachlan and Creator/KeanuReeves turned down the role of Chris Taylor. Originally Creator/CharlieSheen was turned down for the main role of Chris because it was felt he was too young for the part. His older brother Emilio Estevez was offered the part but the project fell apart due to financial problems. Two years later the project was given the go-ahead, but Estevez had already committed to other projects. Charlie Sheen again read for the part and won it.

* RetroactiveRecognition: [[Series/MadMen Duck Phillips]] is Lt. Wolfe.

** Stone at one point wanted Creator/MickeyRourke for Barnes and Creator/NickNolte, but they both turned it down.
** Creator/KevinCostner was offered the role of Barnes, but he turned it down, as he had a brother who served in Vietnam and didn't want to disrespect him.

** James Woods turned down a role because he couldn't face working with Stone in another jungle.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: The film was heavily based on Creator/OliverStone's experiences in Vietnam. For example, the scene in which Chris saves a Vietnamese girl from being raped is based on an incident in which he intervened in an assault on a villager in Vietnam. Just how closely it follows real events and how much is ArtisticLicense for sake of drama is a topic of some debate.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: The film was heavily based on Creator/OliverStone's experiences in Vietnam. For example, the scene in which Chris saves a Vietnamese girl from being raped is based on an incident in which he intervened in an assault on a villager in Vietnam.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/OliverStone intentionally cast Tom Berenger and Creator/WillemDafoe against type (Berenger, who played the ruthless, sadistic Sgt. Barnes, was mostly famous at that point for playing good guys, while Dafoe, who had primarily played villains up until then, played the heroic, compassionate Sgt. Elias). The casting worked, and both men received Oscar nominations for their work.