The humid Manila air hit Alex like a wall as he stepped off the plane. Oliver Stone was there to greet him. "Alex, good to see you. How was the flight?"
"Long but good, Mr. Stone," Alex replied, shaking the director's hand.
"Just Oliver," Stone corrected, clapping him on the shoulder. "Ready to get down and dirty?" He gestured towards a waiting jeep. "We've got a couple of weeks to turn you city boys into soldiers."
The jeep ride took them south of Manila, the landscape gradually transforming from urban sprawl to lush, dense jungle. They finally arrived at the training site, a makeshift camp carved out of the wilderness near the slopes of Mount Makiling in Laguna and spilling into the Cavite region. The air buzzed with a raw, primal energy.
The next two weeks were a grueling immersion into the harsh realities of Vietnam. Oliver Stone, with the help of Vietnam veterans serving as advisors, put the actors through a demanding boot camp designed to strip away any semblance of Hollywood comfort and forge them into a believable unit. Days began before dawn with punishing physical exercises – endless push-ups, sit-ups, and grueling runs through the dense jungle terrain. They learned to handle M16 rifles, practicing drills until the weapon felt like an extension of their own bodies.
Sleep deprivation was a constant companion, punctuated by sudden nighttime ambushes staged by the veterans, forcing the actors to react under pressure and on minimal rest. They learned basic jungle survival skills – how to find water, build makeshift shelters, and navigate by the stars. The constant heat, humidity, and the ever-present insects added another layer of discomfort, mirroring the oppressive conditions faced by soldiers in Vietnam. Oliver Stone was a constant presence, pushing them, lecturing them, and constantly reminding them of the gravity of the story they were about to tell. He wanted them to understand, on a visceral level, the fear, the exhaustion, and the moral ambiguities faced by soldiers in Vietnam.
Alex found himself pushed to his physical and mental limits alongside his fellow actors. However, unlike some of the others who were completely new to this level of intensity, Alex possessed a foundational advantage. His father, John Hayes, a former Navy SEAL, had instilled in him a discipline and skillset that proved invaluable during the grueling boot camp. From a young age, John had taught Alex how to handle firearms safely and effectively, running him through basic marksmanship drills. The rigorous physical exercises demanded by Stone were also familiar to Alex, mirroring some of the routines his father had put him through over the years. Even the basic survival tactics taught in the jungle – navigation, finding water, and building shelter – echoed lessons learned during camping trips with his father, who had often incorporated elements of his SEAL training into their outdoor adventures. While the intensity and constant pressure of the boot camp were still challenging, Alex found that his prior training gave him a solid base upon which to build, allowing him to absorb the new skills and endure the hardships with a degree of preparedness that some of his co-stars lacked.
For Alex, playing the central role of Chris Taylor, the wide-eyed college dropout thrust into the horrors of war, this immersive training was invaluable, stripping away any preconceived notions and forcing him to connect with the raw humanity of the character he was about to portray. The jungle had become their classroom, and the lessons learned in those grueling two weeks would undoubtedly shape their performances in ways they couldn't yet fully comprehend.
Willem Dafoe, watching Alex efficiently disassemble and reassemble his weapon, raised an eyebrow. "Hayes, you handle that thing like you've been doing it your whole life."
Tom Berenger, nearby, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, most of us are just trying not to shoot our own feet, kid. You seem like a natural."
Alex shrugged modestly. "My father was in the Navy SEALs. He taught me a thing or two about handling firearms growing up."
Willem Dafoe, cast as the idealistic Sergeant Elias, had already established himself as a compelling and versatile actor. A founding member of the experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Dafoe transitioned to film in the early 1980s with roles in Heaven's Gate (1980), The Loveless (1982), and a memorable turn as the villainous biker gang leader in Walter Hill's 1984 action film Streets of Fire, where his "perfectly villainous" face, as noted by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, made a lasting impression. Just before joining Platoon, he also starred in 'Roadhouse 66' and the gritty crime thriller 'To Live and Die in L.A.' (both released in 1985), showcasing his range and intensity, qualities that Oliver Stone undoubtedly saw fitting for the character of Elias.
Tom Berenger, who would portray the hardened Sergeant Barnes, was another seasoned actor who had been building a strong filmography throughout the early 1980s. After a few smaller roles, he gained recognition in Lawrence Kasdan's ensemble drama The Big Chill in 1983 and followed that up with a leading role in the cult classic Eddie and the Cruisers the same year. He appeared in Sidney Lumet's crime thriller Fear City in 1984 and the Western comedy Rustlers' Rhapsody in 1985, showcasing his versatility across different genres before taking on the intense and morally ambiguous role of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in Platoon.
The physical exercises and survival training also seemed to come more easily to Alex. While others struggled with the arduous jungle runs and the basic survival skills, Alex moved with a practiced efficiency. One evening, as they were learning to build shelters, Willem Dafoe watched Alex quickly and expertly construct a sturdy lean-to. "Seriously, Hayes," Dafoe said, a hint of admiration in his voice, "this isn't your first time roughing it, is it?"
"My dad was big on camping," Alex replied, downplaying his father's more intense training. "Taught me how to make the most of what you've got."
Among the other actors enduring the harsh training was Forest Whitaker. Alex recognized Forest Whitaker from their time working together on 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High', where Whitaker had played Charles Jefferson, the imposing football star.
After the grueling intensity of the two-week boot camp, Oliver Stone granted the cast a brief respite. They were given a few days to unwind and experience the bustling city of Manila. For many of the American actors, it was their first real immersion into Filipino culture, a world away from the familiar comforts of home.
Their explorations of Manila were often accompanied by informal history lessons, both from Oliver Stone, who had clearly done his research, and from local guides. The relationship between the United States and the Philippines was a complex tapestry woven with threads of colonialism, liberation, and enduring partnership. Many of the landmarks they visited held echoes of this shared history.
The Philippines had been a Spanish colony for over three centuries before the United States acquired it from Spain in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. This ushered in a new era of American influence, which lasted until the Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946. However, the transition from Spanish to American rule was not a peaceful one. Filipino nationalists, who had already been fighting for independence from Spain, resisted the new American colonizers. The Philippine-American War erupted in 1899 and lasted for several years, marked by intense fighting and significant loss of life on both sides. Despite the eventual suppression of the organized resistance, a spirit of nationalism and a desire for true autonomy persisted throughout the American colonial period. While the American administration brought about changes like the establishment of a public education system and infrastructure development, it was also a time marked by this ongoing tension, a complex dynamic of cultural exchange, and at times, deep resentment stemming from the forceful imposition of foreign rule.
The shadow of World War II still lingered in the memories of many Filipinos. The Philippines had been a crucial battleground, with both American and Filipino forces fighting alongside each other against the Japanese occupation. The eventual liberation was hard-won and further cemented the bond between the two nations, although it also left deep scars on the landscape and the collective memory.
In the years following independence, the relationship remained strong. The Philippines became an important ally of the United States during the Cold War, and in 1951, the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty that is still in effect in 1986. This treaty underscored a commitment to mutual security and cooperation. The presence of American military bases in the Philippines for many years further shaped the social and economic landscape.
As the actors wandered through the streets of Manila, they saw remnants of this intertwined history. They visited historical churches built during the Spanish colonial era but also saw nods to American architectural styles. They learned about Filipino heroes who fought for independence from both Spain and the United States, and others who stood alongside American forces in times of conflict.
The conversations during their Manila interlude were often thought-provoking. The cast, many of whom had limited prior knowledge of the Philippines' history, gained a deeper understanding of the country they were filming in and the historical context that underpinned the Vietnam War, a conflict that had significant implications for the Philippines as well, given its strategic location and close ties with the United States. This brief break in their intense training offered a valuable opportunity to connect with the human stories and historical realities that would inform their portrayal of soldiers fighting in a distant land.