Can someone clarify this? The way I saw it was that the shift switched from Chris to Junior, who then fell asleep. But Chris gets blamed, and Junior seems sure that it was Chris's fault.
Did Chris get the time wrong, or was it Junior's fault? The way Elias acted, telling Junior to carry Gardner, makes it seem Junior's fault all along, which is what I think. And Barnes seemed to scold both of them. Just wanted to check...
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I'd also agree with this assessment aside from "Junior seems sure that it was Chris's fault."
Junior knew he was wrong but used the FNG as a convenient scapegoat. The rest of the film fills out Junior's personality fairly well. He ties with Red for being the company goldbricker. Red just kisses ass a bit better.
The way I read Barnes's reaction is that he was aware it was Junior's shift, but was upset that everyone else isn't as hyper-vigilant as he is, even at times you're not officially on assignment and have license to sleep. Presumably, both Chris and Junior were positioned to be the first line of defense. Barnes likely envisioned himself as so tuned in to the enemy that he would hear crackling leaves even if he were asleep. Barnes's unfair criticism of Taylor was mainly him exploiting the moment to deliver a more general message to the entire platoon,
shareThanks for the replies. This really helps. What really threw me was when Chris checks his watch, it's kind of foggy from the rain, and I thought maybe he could have been mistaken. But that doesn't look like the case.
shareYou're right a lot of the blame falls on Junior, and Barnes knew it..but Barnes didn't want to scold him directly in front of everybody as he would completely lose him from then on out..plus Junior has more seniority/experience he gets cred for this..but Barnes indirectly tells Junior he knows what really happened and more is expected of him, button up.
It's the way the military works..without leadership the morale will suffer..I was in 24 years. One time I was at an Army base in El Paso..we all gathered upstairs in the barracks to watch Johnny Carson's last night in May 1992. I was unfamiliar with all of the soldiers, one was quite drunk and a little noisy..disrupted the TV watching a little bit..a few guys said something..there was a calm guy, nobody messed with..when he said something quietly everybody listened..the drunk guy got closer to him as well, and chilled out. The quiet guy had quite a presence, impossible to imitate. He was their leader.
yes it was junior fault but because taylor was an FNG, everyone not believe him. newbs in combat have no respect. seniority get believe over fresh grunt.
junior was coward who get gardner kill. thankfully junior die a coward's death at end of movie. he live like coward and die like one!
I think he also blamed Junior, he looked right at him when he said “the next son of bitch I catch copping Zssss I’m gonna take an interest in watching him suffer”
That and Elias was the one who made Junior carry Gardners body
if you listen to audio commentary on dvd then oliver stone tell you this incident happen in real life. in real life battle stone and other man were on night ambush duty and the other man fell asleep on ambush and blame stone. so stone put this scene in movie. so oliver stone intend for it to be juniors fault 100 percents
elias knew junior was lying but barnes blame mostly taylor but is suspicious of junior