1. Presented By Kate Searson 2019 – SAETA State Conference
Platoon Feminist and Marxist Reading Vietnam War Poetry Critical Reading
Presented By Kate Searson 2019 – SAETA State Conference
If the hyperlinks don’t work in this PPT most of the linked documents and PPTs are on the SAETA website.

2. Outline of the session Critical Lens
Feminist/Marxist
Platoon (Get parental consent to show this very disturbing film)
Gendered reading
Vietnam War Context
War Poetry
Booklet
Coming Home
What Were They Like
I Was Only 19
Critical Reading Online Exam/ Draft

3. Introducing the concept of ‘Literary Theory http://www. ncte

4. Introducing Critical Literacy Theory
FIGURE 2. Brainstorm lists of words related to two pairs of
themes, and assign colours.
Image of words on the board with coloured lens dictating what can be seen

5. Platoon Oliver Stone Original 1986 Trailer
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Fighting for country. At war with themselves. A contemporary trailer for Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam War movie "Platoon". This is a fan-made trailer,
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6. Platoon Oliver Stone – Wikipedia Summary
Platoon is a 1986 American anti-war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, and Johnny Depp.
It is the first film of a trilogy of Vietnam War films directed by Stone, followed by Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth(1993). The film, based on Stone's experience from the war, follows a U.S. Army volunteer (Sheen) fighting in the war while his two sergeants (Berenger and Dafoe) argue over the leadership of the platoon.
Stone wrote the screenplay based upon his experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam, to counter the vision of the war portrayed in John Wayne's The Green Berets…Platoon was the first Hollywood film to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War.[3]
The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards …and won four including Best Picture, Best Director for Stone, ... In 1998, the American Film Institute placed Platoon at #83 in their "AFI's 100 Years Movies" poll.

7. Platoon Oliver Stone – Wikipedia Summary
In 1967, U.S. Army volunteer Chris Taylor arrives in South Vietnam and is assigned to an infantry platoon of the 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border. The platoon is officially led by the young and inexperienced Lieutenant Wolfe, but in reality the soldiers defer to two of his older and more experienced subordinates: the hardened and cynical Staff Sergeant Robert "Bob" Barnes, and the more idealistic Sergeant Elias.
Sgt. Elias and Chris, Sgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes, Sgt. Barnes and a Vietnamese girl.

8. Gender Analysis of Platoon
Feminist theory is actually about men and women and the portrayal of gender.
Looking at the portrayal of men and stereotypes connected to men was a good way to ‘hook’ my class as there were a lot of Specialist Sport footballers in the class.
We watched the film and did a usual study of it looking at some key techniques etc
Used the Gender Analysis PPT to look the portrayal of men in platoon. Also looked at feminist lens to prepare students for Year 12.
Gender_Analysing Platoon.pptx

9. Marxist Analysis of Platoon
Do not mainly focus on this, but provide interested students with materials to help them do their own analysis.
A PowerPoint posted by Kerry Hayes on Slide Share. Gives information on looking at texts through a feminist and Marxist lens.
feminist-lenses-2014
“A” Level Sociology A Resource-Based Learning Approach Theory and Methods Unit M6: Marxism 2005
Marxism: Basic Principles...

10. Platoon Essay Questions
Consider a feminist lens and perspective when answering the following questions:
To what extent does Platoon challenge or support gender stereotypes?
To what extent does Platoon challenge or support female gender stereotypes?
To what extent does Platoon challenge or support male gender stereotypes?
Compare and contrast the characters Sergeants Barnes and Elias and Chris Taylor to explain what Oliver Stone believes a war hero should be?
Consider a Marxist lens and perspective when answering these questions:
Choose and analyse 3 different scenes to show how soldiers are dehumanized and mechanized by war?
To what extent does Platoon expose a social group being exploited by ‘the state’?
In what ways does Platoon serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it?

11. Vietnam War Poetry
Go through the context PPT and make links to examples in the film
Viertnam_War_context.ppt
Students answer specific questions in their workbook
Platoon_Vietnam_War_Poetry_Booklet_SAETA 2019.doc
Study 3 poems
Home Coming
Teach SPECS and SLIMS
What Were They Like
Answer questions in the booklet to annotate
I Was Only 19
Answer questions to annotate
Watch the YouTube clip: Redgum promo
Watch the YouTube clip: The Herd