How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Platoon.
Quote #4
CAPTAIN HARRIS: I can promise you something, if I find out there was an illegal killing, there will be a court martial
Harris reference to a court martial rings hollow in the lawless world of Vietnam. We know that in this war-torn landscape, the threat of discipline is at best empty. The reference to an "illegal killing," however, foreshadows Barnes killing of Elias, and Taylor's killing of Barnes, both of which are, technically speaking, illegal.
Quote #5
ELIAS: What happened today is just the beginning. We're gonna lose this war…We've been kicking other people's asses for so long I figure it's time we got ours kicked
In war, there's always a winner and a loser. Elias is the voice of reason throughout the film, the voice of prophecy, and his assertion that "we're gonna lose this war" is the film's way of ensuring that the whole thing was losing effort, for Americans and Vietnamese alike.
Quote #6
TAYLOR: The morale of the men is low… A civil war in the platoon, half the men with Elias, half with Barnes… I can't believe we're fighting each other
Taylor hits on one of the film's biggest themes: the very real "civil war" within the platoon itself. The second of the film is given over to exploring this destructive, internecine conflict. In some ways, this is the real war in Vietnam.