Platoon and Full Metal Jacket... the reality of our soldiers in the Vietnam War

Lets just say violent and gory movies aren't necessarily my favorite but I would rather learn by watching movies than reading because both Platoon and Full Metal Jacket were entertaining and it was helpful to get an insight to the soldiers involved and be able to see and hear what they really had to go through. 

Platoon was very gruesome throughout the entire movie while in Full Metal Jacket, there were scenes when I had to turn my head but not the entire movie. I was more intrigued and enjoyed Platoon more and thought they represented the soldiers and the details of the Vietnam War better. I felt as if Platoon was a little more realistic than FMJ. However, FMJ shows the troops in boot camp before leaving for Vietnam which is an important aspect. It really shows how hard the Sergeant is on the Privates and how it psychologically affects them. 

The movies have similarities in that they are both of course about the Vietnam War and our countries role in it. In both movies there are problems within their platoons that turned them against each other. Although this is a horrible thing, when they are working together and fighting for their lives and for our country, I think this occurs often. When working as a team and spending twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week together, and considering what they have to witness and go through, i can only imagine how much pressure, stress, and exhaustion they are under and how this can force them to fight with one another, not to mention that is just way too much testosterone going on. Both movies taught me a great amount about the soldiers during the Vietnam War and how they were psychologically affected greatly. 

I was glued to Platoon so this makes me think it was affective with more of the details about the lives of the soldiers during the War even though FMJ covered more, I didn't think it went into great depth like Platoon.

 Although these movies were about the Vietnam War, it makes me think about and wonder if the Iraq War and our soldiers today are similar to those in Platoon and FMJ. I wonder if there will ever be a movie about the Iraq War and would like to see how it compares to Platoon and Full Metal Jacket.