In the Oliver Stone film, Platoon, there is a scene (at approximately 42 minutes in VHS format)that takes place in an NVA bunker. Two soldiers; Sandy (played by J. Adam Glover) and Sal (played by Richard Edson) are seen discovering an ammo can containing maps & other documents. While they are attempting to remove the ammo can, a booby trap bomb explodes. A soldier is then seen emerging from the bunker, with his arms missing, and he subsequently dies.
Who is this character/actor?
From the script:
Ned,
Thanks; very much appreciate your reply. But I have seen this script before, and it is what sparked my original question.
What I’m looking for in the way of assistance, from Cecil’s legions of followers, is for viewing(s) of the actual scene. Look at the actors face (in freeze frame if necessary), who portrays the maimed soldier, and please tell me who you think it is.
The script says it was Sal. Sal was played by Richard Edison. I dont understand the confusion you have.
Actually, Sanderson(played by Glover) was the maimed soldier, but I agree with bryanmaguire - the question was answered in the original post, provided you had actually seen the script before, but if you had, you would have known that Sandy(played by Glover) was the maimed soldier.
Hmmmmmm.
A general comment about why I’m posting this question here:
People employ the Straight Dope (either by questioning Cecil directly, or using this message board) to help get answers to questions that they find perplexing. I think its safe to assume that anyone who goes to the trouble of finding this website/message board, follows through with the registration process, and then puts a post up here, has a legitimately confusing question that they have tried to answer by other means already.
So in response to bryanmaguire, my confusion stems from the fact that when I watch the scene, the face of the actor who portrays the maimed soldier, does not look like Richard Edson to me (despite what the script says). If you review the scene from a continuity perspective, it would lead you to believe that the maimed soldier is Sandy.
In response to wishbone, I would like to know how you draw your conclusion that the maimed soldied is Sanderson (I agree with you, but am curious to know what makes you think this).
Perhaps I wasn’t clear with my question; what I really want to know, is who is the actor who portrays the maimed soldier (not what does the script say, or what the continuity of the scene would indicate). A look at the actor’s face is what I’m after. Who is it; Edson or Glover?
Rich D.,
the words “last thing he ever does” imply that he was killed(maimed) by the blast. 'Nuff said?
I’ve never seen the movie, so I’m not qualified to comment, but I think that what Rich D is saying is that the movie on screen does not appear to match the script. In other words, the script calls for the wounded soldier to be this Sal fellow, but it looks more like it’s Sanderson. Perhaps they couldn’t get the makeup right for Sal on the day of the shooting or something? I don’t know.
Thank you Chronos, for summing up my question; this is indeed the crux of what I am talking/asking about.
Wishbone, in response to your post, please see the e-mail I sent you; I agree with you; in my opinion, the maimed soldier is Sandy(erson)/Glover.
But in response to…
the words “last thing he ever does” imply that he was killed(maimed) by the blast. 'Nuff said?
…I say, yes indeed, enough said, for me.
I have a friend, however, who swears that the maimed soldier is Sal (Edson); and his interpretation of the line “It’s the last thing he ever does”, is that Sandy is vaporized by the blast and that there is nothing left of him to see, and that Sal is the one who has his arms blown off and walks out of the bunker & dies. This friend is the one who originally e-mailed me the same script that Ned posted.
So, once again, my question is…
A look at the maimed (arms blown off) actor’s face is what I’m after. Who is it; Edson or Glover?
I am at work, and can’t pop in the DVD to check, but I’m nearly certain that it is indeed Sandy who is missing his arms.
I agree that the script appears to be different than the action portrayed. I persoanlly don’t find this suprising, I just assume Stone either made a error when writing the script that he corrected on the fly, or he simply felt it would be better the way it was shot, and not written. I’ve never been under the impression that a script/screenplay and the final cut of the movie are intended to be identical.
To be honest if it had been Sal who’d walked out, maimed, I’d have thought it lacked continuity.
From a practical point of view, when you watch the scene Sandy is hovering over the ammo box, and he is the one shown reaching for the canister with both arms, just as you would assume from the script. Sal on the other hand was off to one side, crouching, backing away slightly. Sals’ arms at held closer to his body I believe holding his weapon. Considering that layout, Sandy’s arms would take the brunt of a blast from under the ammo box, and its fairly straight forward that he’d be the one missing both arms in a fairly symetrical manner.
I think the above is so clear that I’d never even hesitated watching the scene because it seemed so logical, and the character seems to look so much like Sandy in the brief glimpse you get. Granted I’d never had the desire to inspect the script either, but as I said, script and film aren’t implied to be identical anyways…a script is NOT a transcript.