ideal and reality

Ola 2022-04-21 09:02:28

The film realistically depicts the situation of the German army in World War I. Overwhelmed by the passionate speeches, German students went to the front to defend their homeland. But when he got to the front, Paul found that it wasn't what he preached. Hunger, gore, death, each of which goes straight to the heart. Gradually his patriotic dream was destroyed. Going home on vacation due to injury, he saw the government officials were making great remarks. A stark contrast to reality. When I went to school, the professor was preaching again. Paul had to tell the truth, but he was called a coward. As a last resort, I returned to that "world without lies" in advance.
The camera finally captures the scene where Paul reaches out to catch the butterfly, which shows his yearning for beauty. From defending the country to being disheartened to returning to the battlefield, the character of Paul is deeply portrayed. From his behavior and action expressions, we can see the cruelty of war and the embodiment of human nature.
In the face of the war, he was calm and did not flinch. But there is no organizational leadership, such as a mass of scattered sand. It's even more comical that the postman becomes the commander of the army. The postman runs away, timid, cowardly, and gets stabbed by Paul. But his death made Paul guilty. Facing the war, it was not easy to live, and stabbing him undoubtedly deepened the progress of death. It further shows the ruthlessness of war.
Disorganization, lack of military equipment, poor technology, and starvation all contributed to the difficulty of winning. The pain, bitterness and hatred brought to people by the war are vividly expressed. To say that there is a bit of comfort, that is, the soldiers faced the situation of the war with "ideals" in their hearts, but still insisted on it. Just this, bring us a little comfort!




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Extended Reading

All Quiet on the Western Front quotes

  • Hair-peak soldier: And manufacturers. They get rich.

    [murmurs of agreement]

    Albert Kropp: I think it's more a kind of fever. Nobody wants it in particular, and then all at once, there it is. We didn't want it. The English didn't want it. And here we are fighting.

  • Albert Kropp: Ah, the French certainly deserve to be punished for starting this war.

    Detering: Everybody says it's somebody else.

    Tjaden: Well. how do they start a war?

    Albert Kropp: Well, one country offends another.

    Tjaden: How could one country offend another?

    Tjaden: You mean there's a mountain over in Germany gets mad at a field over in France?

    [Everyone laughs]

    Albert Kropp: Well, stupid, one people offends another.

    Tjaden: Oh, well, if that's it, I shouldn't be here at all. I don't feel offended.

    Katczinsky: It don't apply to tramps like you.

    Tjaden: Good. Then I could be goin' home right away.

    Paul Bäumer: Ah, you just try it.

    Katczinsky: Yeah. You wanna get shot?

    Tjaden: The kaiser and me...

    [the others laugh]

    Tjaden: Me and the kaiser felt just alike about this war. We didn't either of us want any war, so I'm going home. He's there already.

    Hair-peak soldier: Somebody must have wanted it. Maybe it was the English. No, I don't want to shoot any Englishman. I never saw one 'til I came up here. And I suppose most of them never saw a German 'til *they* came up here. No, I'm sure *they* weren't asked about it.

    Paul Bäumer: No.

    Detering: Well, it must be doing somebody some good.

    Detering: Not me and the kaiser.

    Hair-peak soldier: I think maybe the kaiser wanted a war.

    Tjaden: You leave us out of this!

    Katczinsky: I don't see that. The kaiser's *got* everything he needs.

    Hair-peak soldier: Well, he never had a war before. Every full-grown emperor needs one war to make him famous. Why, that's history.

    Paul Bäumer: Yeah, generals, too. They need war.