Indeed, in a way, Platoon was seen by many as an attempt to counter The Green Berets portrayal of the Vietnam War. According to Suid (2002), The Green Berets not only had President Johnson's support but also the fool co-operation of the military. This patronage from the key players in the war is essentially an indication of the film's underlying motive. Further, in addition to differing in terms of purpose and motive, the two films also differ in their presentation of reality. It should be noted that unlike The Green Berets, Platoon presents a more accurate picture of the actual happenings on the ground during the Vietnam War. This is more so the case given that Stone, its director, actually served in the Vietnam War as an infantryman. For instance, unlike Stone, Wayne is keen to paint a picture of competent and professional officer corps. In so doing, he completely blacks out incidents of "fragging," which could have cast...

In the final analysis therefore, the Platoon could be regarded a more definitive look into the Vietnam War. While The Green Berets presented a war picture that was comforting, the producers of Platoon chose to confront Americans with the hard reality of America's involvement in the Vietnam War.
In conclusion, it is important to note that to date, many see The Green Berets as having been a propaganda film. Platoon on the other hand, as I have already pointed out elsewhere in this text, is widely regarded a more accurate presentation of the Vietnam War. Given the role they played in triggering debate about the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, the relevance of both the Platoon and The Green Berets cannot be overstated.

References

Suid, L.H. (2002). Guts and Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky.