L'innocence est la premiere victim de la guerre.

L'innocence est la premiere victim de la guerre.

 

순수는 전쟁에선 가장 먼저 피해를 본다.  전쟁의 첫번째 희생자는 “순수” (무고함) 이다.

The first casualty of war is innocence.

 

 

The first casualty of war is innocence.

 

내가 군에 있을 때인 1986년 올리버 스톤 감독의 자전적 스토리에 바탕을 둔 그때 까지 나온 람보 류의 비현실적 국수주의적 미국할리우드 베트남 소재 영화를 벗어나서 그때까진 나온 베트남 전쟁 영화 중에사 가장 사실적으로 접근한 최고의 영화라고 칭찬 받은 '플래툰' 이라는 영화.

 

올리버 스톤 감독이 그리려 했던 것은 전장의 참상

선과 악에서 선한 자가 악한 자에게 당할 수 밖에 없는 인간세상의 비정한 현실을 고발하려는 것이었지 않나 여긴다.  악이 질서가 되는 현실적 힘의 질서에서 맞서 왜 우리는 그럼에도 불구하고 선한 자의 삶으로 살아가야 한다고 외치는 것일까?  결국 이런 반현실적 자세는 결국은 현실과 괴리되는 도덕적 유리에 불과할까? 

 이 플래툰 영화 를 여러번 보왔다.  하지만 영화에서 느끼는 선한자가 패배하는 우리 전장과 같은 인간세상을 난 너무나 쉽게 잊고 살아왔던 것 같다.

 

인간 세상은 만인의 만인에 대한 투쟁 상태 즉 적대적 관계이다.  우리 삶은 평화적 유토피아 가 아니다.  우리 모두는 에덴동산에서 추방된 범죄자인 것이다.  이러한 전쟁 에서는 언제나 희생자는 착한 사람이 당하고 죄없는 무고한 양민이 죽어 나간다.  전쟁에서 살아남는 자는 교활해야 하고 내가 살아남기 위해서는 먼저 남에게 총을 겨누고 먼저 내리 쳐야 하는 엄연한 냉정함만이 살아남의 교훈이다.  우리 삶이 이러한 전장이라면 착함 즉 진실은 패배하기 마련이다.

 

아무런 죄없는 선량한 사람이 엉뚱하게 아니면 교활한 폭군에게 죽임을 당하는 것이 현실이다.  엉뚱하게 총 맞지 않고 살아 남는 상대방 보다 더 교활해야 하고 먼저 총탄을 퍼붓어야 한다. 

선제공격만이 가장 유효한 전장의 무기이다.

 

군에서 체험한 생활은 개구리복을 벗는 순간 잊혀버린 것이라고 이런 엄연한 세상 질서의 힘을 잊고 산 것일까? 

진실에 맞서 투쟁하다가는 자기도 모르는 사이에 피투성이가 된다는 이 엄연한 이 세상의 불의. 전쟁과 평화 시기는 반대라고 하지만 평화의 시기 보다 전쟁의 시기가 다 많다는 인류 역사가 아닐까 싶다.  그렇다면 현실적 도덕은 배치되어야 하지 않을까?  진화심리학적으로도 인간은 내재적 도덕판단력이 존재한다고 주장하지만 이 전장의 세상에서는 진실은 항상 승리하지 않는 패배의 아픔이 있다는 것을 받아들여야 한다.

 

 

The Vietnam war seems to be one subject in the film world that has thrown up a host of well respected movies. Unlike the glorification and propaganda overtones that are prevalent amongst those that retell the Second World War, by the time directors began to tackle the subject of Vietnam, a very different attitude was in the air and a more realistic and neutral position was taken. Amongst the short list of worthy productions regarding this period of Americas military history is Platoon.

Oliver Stones 1986 film is based around the experiences of a green recruit in 1967 in the jungle and villages of Vietnam, Charlie Sheen makes a good job of this role as Chris, a nervous and bewildered infantryman, with possibly more than a little of Stones own experiences of this war being woven into the part. Chris finds himself in a unit that is divided into basically two factions with their own warring leaders. Tom Berenger is Sergeant Barnes, the dark hero of the unit who leads the career soldiers of the platoon, these men are mainly white, brutal and at home in the surreal, immoral and violent world they find themselves in. Willem Defoe is his opposite number, Sergeant Elias, his followers are a mix of black soldiers, cannabis smokers and short term conscripts. Barnes is a ruthless killer who appears immortal, whereas Elias has a more humane approach towards leadership, both men are combat experienced and are the real leaders of the unit, their lieutenant being as green as some of the newly arrived soldiers, or new meat, themselves. Chris has to decide where he fits in to the rival factions. Are men like Barnes created by such wars as this or is Elias way better?

The trigger point of the story comes when Barnes, in the absence of Elias, leads a revenge attack on a Vietnamese village in response to the death of one of his men at the hand of the Viet Cong. The village experiences brutal treatment and upon his return Elias is enraged to find out what has happened. The rival sergeants become engaged in a war between themselves and control of the unit is the goal. The soldiers that they lead are forced to take a stand on the different methods employed by their superiors, is there room for morals or is the only way to survive to be as brutal and inhumane as everyone else?

Stones film focuses not so much on the tactics and strategies of war, heroics and glory are not the style here, this is an examination of the conflicts amongst the American unit itself. Barnes is trying to be a warrior-god, fighting the war on his own terms, and allowed to do so by the inactivity of his superior officer. Chris as narrator of the piece takes us through the turmoil faced by an innocent young man amongst all of this chaos, as he is slowly drawn into the battle for hearts and minds within his unit. The final scene also highlights the futility and immorality of war when the American camp is over run and a called in napalm strike indiscriminately kills US and Viet Cong troops alike. Willem Dafoe also provides one of the most enduring images from any war film, kneeling down, arms flung in the air, as he succumbs to a hail of enemy bullets in a scene bereft of sound and overlaid with haunting music to give the scene an otherworldly feeling.

Although most of the players in this film were fairly unknown at the time, almost all went on to carve out successful careers and become household names. Berenger, Defoe and Sheen carry the main responsibility in what is basically a three man piece but, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Francesco Quinn and Kevin Dillon all feature. Although it is an action packed film, the story is based on the acting ability of the main characters and all manage to turn in a first class performance. Even if you are not a fan of war movies, this film is worth watching for a thoughtful and dark insight into the affects of war on young men.