ALL'S FAIR: A Reflective Study on the Style, Structure, Purpose, and Impact of War Films (Year 2 Scholars/Instructors only)
As we know as film students and enthusiasts, film is one of the most all-encompassing, expressive art forms there is. It utilizes sound, visuals, music, and motion to engage all of the senses and communicate deep themes, experiences, and meaning like no other medium. Perhaps that is why whether you are documenting the events and moments or telling a story, film is the most effective way to communicate the horror, heartbreak, heroism, and sacrifice of war.
The war genre in film is defined by its use of actual combat fighting or conflict as the primary plot or background for the action of the film. Typical elements in war film plots include POW camp experiences and escapes, submarine/air/land/naval warfare, espionage, personal stories of heroism, tough trench and infantry experiences, or male-bonding adventures. Themes are centered around main ideas of combat, survival in brutal conditions, escape, gallant sacrifice and struggle, studies of futility and inhumanity in battle, the effects of war on society, and intelligent and profound explorations of the moral and human issues that accompany war.
Some war films seek to balance the soul-searching, tragic consequences, and inner turmoil of combatants or characters with action-packed dramatic spectacles, enthusiastically illustrating both the excitement and turmoil of warfare. Some war films concentrate more on the homefront and those left behind to wait rather than on the conflict at the military war-front. Then again, some war films provide decisive criticism of the violence and waste of human life and sanity of senseless warfare.
War films have been officially used as "flag-waving" propaganda to inspire national pride and morale, to display the nobility of one's own forces while harshly displaying and criticizing the villainy of the enemy, and to unite a country behind the effort to strengthen resolve. War films are also excellent keepers and communicators of important and significant history, providing a document of our past that can inspire as well as teach better than any dry textbook or theoretical discussion. War films can also be used to make political statements. Unpopular, and, frankly, gravely misunderstood wars such as Vietnam, Korea, or Iraq, have been represented in films so as to provide a more human face to the cold and critical public, ultimately serving to bring much-needed healing and even outreach to those Veterans who were never offered a "Welcome Home" upon returning from a hell we can only begin to imagine.
War films were in decline after WWI, due to increasing US isolationism. However; after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and in the several years before, they began drawing an audience once again. Many Hollywood films were action-adventure features with caricatures of fearsome Germans and Japanese and clean-living, all American soldiers. Films like Sergeant York (1941), The Fighting 69th (1940), and A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941) hit the theaters to encourage support for the American entry into WWII to aid Britain and France.
Today, war films are primarily nostalgic; a way to look back to a united America making its mark on a captive Europe. World War II is the most popular war backdrop as it offers an endless supply of remarkable stories of extraordinary humans, acts of extreme bravery, and revelations of some of the most brutal human rights violations that the world has ever known. This month, you will be viewing three WWII war films. One, The Bridge on the River Kwai, was made just over 10 years after the end of WWII and has been called by many (including Mrs. Caraway's father!) the greatest WWII film ever made (trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlC7XBayj0s). The other two were made recently by two very different directors stylistically: Dunkirk (Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-eMt3SrfFU) and Midway (Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfTYY_pac8o).
After watching all three in Plex, respond to this blog by addressing the following reflection queries:
1. What was the overall message of each with respect to war? Is the film celebrating heroism, or is it more focused on revealing the brutalities of war (or both)?
2. Which war film was your favorite and why?
3. What other war films have you seen? Which of those have made an impact on you?
War is ugly. It is a monster that steals away the best and brightest and leaves the rest haunted by misery and images too horrible to speak--too ghastly to forget. It represents the very worst human beings can be; that ugly, selfish, hatred that seeks to avenge, kill, take and destroy. But wars so often provide the dark backdrop necessary to see the brightest and the best that humanity has to offer--those extraordinary and unbreakable spirits that long for life, beauty, freedom, love, and opportunities for happily ever afters for future generations. To quote Lt. Col. Dave Grossman from his book On Combat: "If we were to go but a single generation without such men and women, we should surely be both damned and doomed."
War films help us remember. They help us realize the pain and heartache so many of our fellow human beings have had to endure. They make us grateful for the gift of freedom and remind us exactly what that gift cost lest we be tempted to fall into apathy. War films show us the very best and worst of humanity. In short, they do what many filmmakers feel ethically bound to do: show us where we have been, who we are, and where we can go. As long as war exists, there will be filmmakers who will seek to capture all of its horror and glory. Whether these films celebrate uncommon valor or allow us to mourn the tragedies of our past, war films and filmmakers have a lesson to teach, and they do it in a way that engages all of our senses.
Semper Fidelis.
#1: In Dunkirk, the main message was that survival was just as important as winning the war, and that power can come from the most unexpected places. This is revealed both in the reading of the newspaper at the end of the film, as well as when all of the civilian ships appear in Dunkirk. In The Bridge Over the River Kwai the message is to highlight the perseverance of those in brutal situations. Midway celebrates patriotism and courage.
ReplyDelete#2: By far my favorite war film was Dunkirk (it honestly might be my favorite war film after seeing it). Firstly, the movie was beautiful. The cinematography was amazing, the score was moving, and the acting was fantastic. Secondly, I loved the use of time in the film and I think Nolan really maximized the impact of the climax and message through his use of time. When I told my mom I had to watch Dunkirk, she said it was the worst war film she ever saw because of the somewhat sparse dialogue. However, I really enjoyed reading the relationships and understanding characters not through the dialogue but through the implications of body language and other. I would give Dunkirk an 8/10. Not entirely over the fact that the film started with that one dude trying to use the restroom and being interrupted several times.
~Quick intermission of me bagging on The Bridge Over the River Kwai and Midway~
The Bridge Over the River Kwai was not a good war film (or maybe film in general) in my opinion. I had no emotional connection to the characters, the antagonist was weak, and it was just people talking to each other for ages. In minor defense of the film, I had difficulty paying attention for the three god-forsaken hours, so perhaps there was some action sequences that I missed. To top it off, my mom made sure I watched the climactic scene of the bridge blowing up at the end and I was just like "that was it?". 2/10 in my books. The whistling song was good.
Midway was made in 2019. TWO YEARS after Dunkirk. It looks like it was made in the year 2000. The CGI is awful. The acting is terrible, it feels like a soap opera. The pacing is very strange (but maybe that's Plex's fault). No wonder is got like 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Shark Boy and Lava Girl is better than Midway.
#3: The other war films that I have seen include: Schindler's List, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, 1917 and Unbroken. Honestly, I think all of these war films have made an impact on me. Schindler's list was a very moving story, as well as The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Unbroken. 1917 was a beautiful film and while some people might say the ending is trash, I strongly disagree.
ReplyDeleteI feel that all three of these films highlighted the atrocities of war mostly along with the unimaginable sacrifices and loss that the men who fought were forces to endure. I would say that while the films are celebrating the heroism of the men who fought it also is very revealing of the brutalities of war and the lengths the soldier were forced to go in order to survive. While all three of the movies were pretty good I would definitely have to day that Midway was my favorite, sorry Harry Styles. The cinematography in this movie is what really sold it for me because the shots were so beautiful and the special effects just made it even better. A scene that comes to find when thinking about the cinematography is the scene where the planes are flying over the Japanese large vessels are Midway when they start to get hope that they can actually take down their fleet. I loved how much tension this movie had I thought it was so well done that it literally felt like I was learning everything about Midway for the first time. In total transparency though I may or may not just be a huge Nick Jonas fan, either way Midway was amazing and that's coming from someone who is not a fan of war movies. Although I haven't seen many war movies as I typically don't find myself gravitating toward them I do remember seeing Hacksaw Ridge and that movie was so outstanding because the story line was so amazing and quite mostly made me believe in humanity again because of the main character, Desmond played by Andrew Garfield, was so selfless among so much hate, death, and destruction and always stayed true to himself.
I LOVED Hacksaw Ridge, as well. Such an amazing story. I love that these are true stories - Midway, Dunkirk, and Hacksaw Ridge are inspirational on that alone, and on the research and love that went into telling these stories for future generations to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy. Thank you!
DeleteThe Bridge on the River Kwai had a very important message about war. It showed how even bitter enemies could have respect for each other. This is mainly shown through the relationship between Colonel Nicholson and Colonel Saito. While at first, they aren't huge fans of each other, Nicholson learns about Saito and decides to help him to build a strong bridge.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Dunkirk's main message was that it is everyone's duty to fight for their countries, soldiers and civilians alike. While a group of soldiers are trapped on a sinking ship, a group of civilians take their own boats to help fight the enemy.
I don't think that Midway had any specific message. I think it was created as a way to accurately remember the people who died during Pearl Harbor and the consequential events that took place afterwards.
Out of the three films, my favorite was The Bridge on the River Kwai. I'm not exactly sure why I enjoyed this film so much. I felt like the characters in this film showed a lot of humanity that the other two films did not show. I also enjoyed seeing enemies work together towards a common goal.
I have not seen many war films because I am not a huge fan of this genre. I have seen 1917 and Schindler's List, but not many others. However I think these few films were able to give me a good perspective of what war is like.
#1 Each of the films did a very good job of bringing a different perspective to the popular action genre. I loved Dunkirk's message the most as it focused around brotherly love and how to fight honorably in such a messy time in history. The story line was great and I loved seeing civilians in a war movie because I feel as though that is not a very common trope in action/war centered movies. It really communicated a nationalistic type of theme throughout the film. Midway has a similar type of feel to Dunkirk in my opinion as pride over one's nation (ie nationalism was very present). Bridge Over the River Kiwa really highlights the difficulties and horrors of war something that in my opinion can be forgotten about in modern day depictions of war. I loved that they highlighted this because it helps us all as viewers to "sober up" and appreciate those who have died for our freedoms even more.
Delete#2 Personally it is very difficult to choose between Midway and Dunkirk. The cinematography in Dunkirk was astounding. But I loved the plot in Midway more. But I guess I would have to go with Dunkirk simply because Harry Styles is in it.
1917 will forever be one of my all time favorite war films alongside saving private Ryan. They are both so realistic. The acting and cinematography in both is top notch!
I love that Dunkirk and Midway are so different. They both are examples of what film can do with regards to war stories.
DeleteDunkirk had a message not unlike other modern war films. Its main actors were very young, and it put these young people through these horrible atrocities to push the message that war is horrible and destructive. The whole movie felt utterly hopeless, it had a dark muted color scheme, and there were really no happy moments of the film. It also feels a bit hopeful, all of the characters persisted until the end of the film. I like that the film chose to stay close to history.
ReplyDeleteThe Bridge on the River Kwai followed POW's building a bridge in Japan. I feel this movie also had a hopeful perspective on war. As long as the characters are persistent in their actions, they can 'win' per se in th'e end. It reminded me a little bit of the Manchurian Candidate, perhaps that is just because they are both older war films. It didn't feel quite as gritty as the other films. The palette was almost pastel in certain points.
Midway felt a bit watered down to be honest. I feel like it could have told a better story than it did. It had a very patriotic and vengeful take on war films. Which is less common now than it was. Midway felt like "look at how cool war looks!" while the others felt a bit more gritty.
My favorite war film is Tropic Thunder. It really captures the essence of the human experience, and it shows the horrors and greatness of war in a beautiful fashion.. of course I am kidding about that one. My favorite war film is certainly Saving Private Ryan. I had the privilege of seeing Saving Private Ryan in the theater, and that opening scene chills me to the bone. All of that film just feels so real.
I've not seen many war films, "Glory", "Saving Private Ryan", "Unbroken" and "1917" to name a few I have seen. I had the privilege of seeing Dunkirk in the theatre as well, so perhaps I was a bit more partial to writing about it than the other two. All of the ones I listed are fantastic films.
#1: Dunkirk's message was that it is everyone's duty to fight for their country, and how even in the most brutal of situations, the bonds of men persevere. Bridge over the river Kwai showed how enemies could come to work together, breaking down their differences. Midway is a celebration and encouragement of patriotism.
ReplyDelete#2: Personally, my favorite film was Dunkirk. The cinematography was mesmerizing, and it felt the most story oriented of all of the films. I felt the most connected with the characters in Dunkirk and never felt bored. With Midway and The River Kwai, I felt totally disconnected with what was happening on the screen.
#3: The two war films that come to mind are 1917 and The Boy With The Striped Pajamas. By far 1917 is my favorite war film of all time. The technique of a one shot film was expertly done. In general, I am not a fan of war films. Even so, the film was able to capture my attention throughout the whole thing.
After watching all three of these films I noticed that each of them gave an accurate representation of what it was like for them during these times of war. Dunkirk took a battle that was not very well known and helped the audience to understand the significance of the events that occurred, the cinematography showed the destruction and gruesome reality of war. Midway showed the true horrors of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the movie showed the entire timeline of the attacks to the battle of Midway, leaving out no detail. The cinematography beautifully shows the dog fights and gets the audience up close and personal with the pilots that were risking their lives making you feel like you're sitting in the cockpit. The final movie Bridge on the River Kwai was a masterpiece, while at some points difficult to watch the film was overall gorgeous, the story behind the film is extremely well written and the cinematography while simple was extremely well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying that. I thought the perspective of Midway was beautiful too. :)
Delete1. I think the message of Dunkirk was more focused on the bond between two people in a dark time where they could have possibly lost their sanity otherwise. It has a much wider focus on humanity than the spoils of war. Midway focuses on the war on a greater scale, it showcases the large battle that was fought at pearl harbor and has a message of nationalism and interpreting the war as accurately as possible and doesn't shy away from shining light on the actual soldiers who lost their lives for out country on that day. The Bridge on the River Kwai was less focused on the war as a whole but on these specific characters who have one goal in mind, survival and sabotage. There isn't as strong a message as there is in the first two films but it is a unique take on the war by showing how these characters work with the enemy in order to benefit themselves and their side.
ReplyDelete2. The Bridge on the River Kwai was my favorite because it is the most unique and has a story that is closer to a "movie story" than just showcasing what happened in real life much like how the first two films did.
3. One war film that had a very large impact on me was Schindler's list, I've seen it many times and each time I watch it I appreciate Spielberg more and more for interpreting this very important story that honors many lives who would otherwise go unnoticed by many and disgracing the lives of those who have brought pain thousands if not millions.
Great comments. I, too, was greatly impacted of Schindler's List. It's truly film art and extraordinary history.
Delete#1: The Bridge on the River Kwai
ReplyDeleteI felt like the overall message they were wanting to portray in this movie was the way leadership was run during those times. There was a leader, if anyone were to disobey, they would be a gruesome punishment. The leader would overwork their workers and just barely provide them with the basic survival needs, just to keep them alive. To look at the other aspects of the film, I found a special place in my heart for the cinematography because of how simplistic it was. It looked like a good portion of the scenes had to be shot all in one take. This film shows the daily cycle of what the people captured had to go though and the things they were having to deal with on a daily basis.
I would say that this film is definitely focusing on the brutalities of war. I say this because the film did not seem to have main characters that stayed throughout the story (not including the general in charge).
#2: Midway
The overall message of this film was to recap the horrors and tragedies of Perl Harbor. I loved the score from this movie and in my opinion, I enjoyed watching it. I was on the edge of my seat for multiple scenes and had the adrenaline rushing through me as the movie went on. Although it did not see like there was a specific main character, it was very well played. I was interested in all the angles that they had shown, especially when the people were inside the plane. I loved the message it told and the light they shined on such a horrific event.
I would say that this film captures the revealing aspects of war because it was so heavily based on Pearl Harbor.
#3: Dunkirk
This was one of my favorite movies ever. This movie felt like there was a main character that I could track through the film that told the story. I was impressed with the cinematography more than all the other films because you felt up close with the characters and that you were there experiencing that they were. The overall message was showing everyone's individual duties in order to complete the goal as a team (everyone playing their part). It showed the reality of war and was VERY well played out.
This movie I felt like more portrayed the brutality of war. When i think of dunkirk, I honestly just have the image of fire, there was a lot of fire in the movie.
Other war movies I have watched are 1917 and Schindler's List. I would say that Schindler's List was most influential to me because it not only showed the brutality of war AND the story of how someone who looks so uptight and snobby, can make such an impact on the world.
Yes - Schindler's List will always stay with me. It's a favorite!
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