Crudely over-schematic though it may be in its moral equations,
particularly the good vs evil struggle personified in Dafoe and
Berenger, this is still pretty strong as a bewildering grunt's eye view
of Vietnam warfare. That said, it never matches the agony, terror or
allegorical force of Brian DePalma's Casualties of War. Sheen is
obvious, perfunctory casting as the raw recruit trying to get a handle
on the chaos around him, terrifically choreographed by a Stone still in
control of his medium. He is easily forgiven the aestheticisation of
Dafoe's death to Barber, a justly famous scene which bravely subjects
the emotions to all-out assault.
