There’s a lot of movies out there, folks. In order to cover the ground I intend to, I am going to start this new feature, in which I go through a notable director’s work and rate each film I’ve seen. For some reason I’ll never comprehend I’ve decided to start with Oliver Stone.
ABOUT OLIVER STONE
Stone is most famous for being “that director who went to Vietnam”. Upon returning he began a film career with such screenwriting credits as Conan the Barbarian and Scarface. He would go on to direct films about war, politics, the media and more. Many of his films are based upon true stories, though he has made a habit of altering the truth in these films. In fact, in his films such as JFK and The Doors, there are entire characters and sequences added to fit his artistic vision. Of late his films have not been as virulent or political, leaving some feeling disappointed. However, in the 90’s he was one of the most important filmmakers going.
FILMS I’VE SEEN
Platoon (1986)
A semiautobiographical (that was rough to type) account of Stone’s experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. Stone is not subtle… ever, and that may be the one problem this film has. We have an idea who the good guys and bad guys are from the very beginning, so the ultimate schism is thoroughly unsurprising. However, the rest of the film is both exhilarating and heartbreaking. The basic thesis of the film is its own tagline: “The first casualty of war is innocence.” The beginning of this film offers us a clean-cut young man named Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), and by the end he is simply not the same. This film brought Stone to the forefront, and I have a hard time arguing with its 4 Academy Awards.
(Rating: 3.5/4)
Wall Street (1987)
Stone’s look into the dealings of Wall Street, warts and all. Sadly this film’s look and tone has not aged well, but the story therein is just as relevant today. Michael Douglas is sublime as Gordon Gecko, so good that he makes Charlie Sheen look like an amateur. This fall a sequel is being released, probably due to the current economic situation, and I am quite looking forward to it. This film is an interesting experience, even if it is a tad overrated. Not by much, but a little.
(Rating: 3/4)
The Doors (1991)
An incredibly uncomfortable experience, with Val Kilmer playing Doors frontman Jim Morrison as an alcoholic monkeyman. This film also begins Stone’s more psychedelic phase in which every shot vies to cause a headache. This film is certainly well made, but the actions occurring onscreen are not only incredibly inaccurate, but so over-the-top as well. Most musical biopics follow the rise-fall-rise outline, but Stone has none of that. Nothing but downfall here, and it is just incredibly unpleasant. As Roger Ebert so adequately puts it, “Watching the movie is like being stuck in a bar with an obnoxious drunk, when you're not drinking.” I’d say it’s more like being locked in a room with a drunk and there’s no way out.
(Rating: 1.5/4)
JFK (1991)
My favorite Oliver Stone film, and one of my favorite films ever. It still might warrant a “My Favorite Films Essay” (we’ll see). It follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison. The film essentially alleges that there was a conspiracy, at one point indicting Lyndon Johnson. That’s why this film is best approached as a fiction, and when one does that it is exhilarating. The Director’s Cut runs almost three and a half hours long, and it whizzes by as if it was barely 90 minutes. From start to finish I was captivated by the mystery that is presented, as it is all slowly explained to the audience in some of the best-edited sequences I’ve ever seen. As I mentioned before, Stone takes some liberties with the truth, but as a film it is superb.
(Rating: 4/4)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
An ultraviolent, seemingly drug-induced tail of Mickey and Mallary Knox, a husband and wife duo who travel across the country carrying out senseless and brutal murders. Stone uses every trick in the book to transport your mind into a world run by the media, who turn the Knoxes into celebrities. This movie is made with such unique style and vision, yet at the same time is often a rough go. Robert Downey Jr. is terrific as a reporter who searches for that exclusive interview with Mickey and Mallory. There is not a single frame of this film that is not over-the-top, and at times it can be grating. Watch at your own risk.
(Rating: 2.5/4)
World Trade Center (2006)
A movie chronicling the events on September 11th through the eyes of two police officers who end up buried in the rubble. Nicolas Cage gives a performance here that is more subtle than most, and it comes off very effectively. Everything else comes out bland. There is no Oliver Stone at any point in this film. It lacks the energy you see in other Stone films, and is shockingly insignificant. I do, however, give him props for avoiding the politics seen in his other films; otherwise this could have gotten REALLY ugly.
(Rating: 2/4)
W. (2008)
Here is a film that simply came too soon. There are moments when I was truly interested, and others when I was wondering why this was even made. There are two terrific performances: Josh Brolin as George W. Bush and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney. Everyone else seems to have been cast out of the Saturday Night Live audition line. (I should give props to Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, who is more than decent). Most of the positives are nearly depleted by an ending which is such a dud that it highlights the main problem: They made this TOO SOON. We could have had a terrific film here, but the eager beavers of Hollywood could not wait. The best biopics have something this film didn’t have: hindsight.
(Rating: 2.5/4)
FILMS I HAVEN’T SEEN
Talk Radio (1989) Tomatometer: 80%
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) Tomatometer: 89%
Heaven and Earth (1993) Tomatometer: 50%
Nixon (1995) Tomatometer: 75%
U Turn (1997) Tomatometer: 57%
Any Given Sunday (1999) Tomatometer: 49%
Alexander (2004) Tomatometer: 16%
CAREER GRADE: B
Some terrific stuff here, no doubt. However, at times his work can be a tad self-important, and lately his stuff has started to get bland and forgettable. I’d rather see more ambitious misfires like The Doors than safe yawners like World Trade Center. I’m certainly looking forward to whatever he has to offer for the rest of his career, particularly Wall Street 2.
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