It is one thing to study war
And another to live the warrior`s life.
Telamon of Arcadia,
mercenary of the fifth century B.C.
I do believe that all the good war movies are essentially anti-war movies. My interest in this topic has nothing to do with glorifying the event. On the very contrary. I’m glad and thankful I never had to experience it. Still it is a fact, something whose existence we cannot deny. Something that has horrible consequences for everyone enduring it.
My father fought in one of the lesser known wars. Being French he was drafted as an 18 year old and sent to Algeria where he stayed for three years as a simple private. He told me a lot about it. I heard the most unimaginably horrible things. Things that I haven’t even seen depicted in the most gruesome war movies. I knew he suffered nightmares and still does. I knew he carried wounded comrades on his back for whole days to find when he put them down that they had died in the meantime. He saw his best friend mutilated and butchered.
I wanted to understand. Not only on an intellectual level but on an emotional one as well. Isn’t it one of the worst experiences for returning soldiers to face the fact that no one really understands what they have been through?
Apart from this I always enjoyed movies as an art form. And I do believe, considering so many outstanding producers, film directors, composers and actors participate in war movies, that they have their own very special appeal.
I still close my eyes sometimes when very gruesome events take place on the screen but one may also witness sheer beauty. Comradeship, bravery, courage.
In the end they remind us of live’s utter fragility.
Like the quote you listed at the top of this page. I too love studying movies as art and as an aspiring artist. Love your topic!
Thanks. I’m glad when someone is interested and especially when people don’t take offense in the topic. Got many a biased reaction on telling people that this is one movie genre I’m particularly interested in. I keep on repeating a good war movie is essentially a good anti-war movie.
[...] one of the hardest movies to watch for me for very personal reasons. All those who have read the About page on this blog, know why. For everyone else here´s a quick explanation. My father fought in this [...]
“I still close my eyes sometimes when very gruesome events take place on the screen but one may also witness sheer beauty. Comradeship, bravery, courage.
In the end they remind us of live’s utter fragility.”
I agree. I think war movies when done well expose real human emotions. I prefer the ones that are true to human nature.
I haven’t seen it yet, but what are your thoughts on “The Battle of Algiers”. It’s really highly thought of.
I watched the beginning and could see that it might get into my top 20 but I do have a problem watching the movies on the war in Algeria as I heard so many first-hand accounts. And it was ugly as hell. You could try Intimate Enemies if you haven’t already done so. It shows exactly what my father and uncle went through. I got into an almost ugly discussion with someone on amazon fr saying the French did not torture. My father is an eye witness. They did. And my uncle, I never liked the guy, nor did my father, was an officer and he did torture. So, these are my problems. The Algerians did horrible things but then so did the French. It is like watching The wind that Shakes the Barley or Bloody Sunday for British people…
Thanks for being open about this. “Battle of Algiers” is #24 on the list so I will not be getting to it for a while. Thanks for the recommendation on “Intimate Enemies”.
I might watch it before you get to it. Just needs to be the right moment for it.
Since you have a section on books:
may I recommend a very good novel entitled “The four horsemen of the Apocalypse” by Vicente Blasco Ibanez? (written in Spanish, but it can probably be found in English, at least in a good library).
Read it, remembering that it was published in 1916.
Thanks for the recommendation. I will look it up. I do read Spanish, if it is not too archaic. I will try and find the Spanish version.
It’s free for the kindle
Mosfilm just announced that they are going to release 5 films a week WITH SUBTITLES on youtube. The problem is that the titles are in syrillic, but if you google youtube mosfilm, you may churn some war titles. If not, I’ll send some links asap.
Thanks, Guy, I’ll have a look.
http://www.youtube.com/mosfilm
Thanks. I had a look. It’s great. The movies are in the original language. The titles are in Russian but that’s OK, I don’t speak Russian but I can read the alphabet.
I think the English subtitle versions are coming soon. The annoucement was just made a couple of days ago.