Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film analysis - Essay Example 78. The movie focuses entirely on the narration of an incredible and observant soldier Paul Baumer. Paul is fast to portray and reveal the horrors that accompanied the trench wars that included gas attack, rat infestations, and fatal illnesses in the Western front. In addition, the film addresses and works on the goal of exploring the purpose and the destined purpose of the World War I. In the United States, the film remains as one of the most influential and popular educational tools in the education of concepts and unfolding events during the World War I. However, the film’s story line is in the perspective of the German that was among America’s enemies during the war. An American journalist by the name Henry Louis Mencken denoted the film as a classical and unquestionably among the best works regarding the World War. Since time immemorial, few films play the striking role of educating and delivering powerful anti-war messages in the American context and the world as a whole. Lewis Milestone’s extraordinary evocation in the film describes the tragic follies associated with the wars. Most reviews associate the film as the best movie as it displays and portrays innocent and determined German soldiers and their juxtaposed states in respect to the harrowing immediacy concerning the trench warfare. However, the soldiers fail at the expense of their tools and they fail to match the equipment of their enemies. In this light, the film displays a philosophical underpinning of the surging wars that leaves the audience in awe both in heart and mind. The youths are in the comfort of their class and in reference to the encouragement of their teacher they enlist for the inclusion in the army (Shmoop, 2010 Pg. 78). It is inconsiderate to think that the result is a good fight to in and this is contrary to the fact that there are no good fights and there is ultimately and always a winner. In addition, victory in most instances is similar to defeat. In the education of American history, this film serves a definitive role in ensuring that sometimes loyalty and patriotism is the source of death in the military men. In this context, the dialogue in the film in some cases expresses a sense of stagy and arch as compared to today’s standards. Paul watches helplessly as the world slowly crumbles them to their demise amidst all the madness, inescapable and indispensable loss as well as chaos in the trench wars. He recalls the butterflies he trapped as a young boy and put in glass cases. This reflective flashback serves as comparison to the current state he experienced in the trenches as he watched helplessly as their demise beckoning. With this summary, one may wonder why they should care in reference to the unfolding turn of events film affecting Paul and his comrades. The film provides a varied perspective regarding the events that unfolded during the World War in comparison to what the Americans allow. From the film, the audience h as the opportunity to hear and process the views of the German soldier that is a big enemy of the American nation as well the allied forces. This creates a sympathetic attitude towards the ‘enemy’ and this also induces reflective reasoning with the aim of defining the true