This is an old classic. It was completed in the 1930s when film technology was not developed. After a 20-year ban, it finally showed the war and bullets of that era to the audience in vivid film language. Unlike contemporary films, Cold Mountain or The Long Engagement, this gritty German film conveys the message of the battlefield, bloody struggles and endless killings, entirely from the front. However, the deep meaning of the film is more than that. With World War I as the background, from the perspective of an ordinary German, a young man from a country where the war started, it describes the time from being outside the battlefield to being absorbed in the smoke of gunpowder, and then getting used to it. The roar of planes and the roar of cannons reflected the psychological changes of a generation of young people who were full of aspirations but were encouraged to fight on the front lines after they had completed their studies. Finally, the endless sound of explosions filled their brains, and their companions fell down beside them. They stopped breathing in their arms, and the enemy's artillery fire did not weaken because of this. They had to keep rushing forward, rushing, rushing...
From a structural point of view, the first half of the film adopted the method of interjection while showing the hero Paul as the representative. The brutal battles experienced by the young soldiers and the great grief of parting with their comrades, while interluding in the student days, the professor's instruction on joining the army in the classroom, the picnic after class, the couples playing, the lingering warm scenes, this kind of reality and memory The crisscross arrangement is a stark contrast. From the moment of graduation, the fate of these boys has undergone a fundamental change. The good youth seems to be in the past in an instant, replaced by the days of killing weapons. What needs to be mastered is the skills of fire and hand-to-hand combat, otherwise, you will lose the right to live. Therefore, in this ingenious structure, war seems to be an unavoidable disaster, suddenly befalling the young people's bright future, and beginning to destroy the naive and simple barrier in their hearts; on the other hand, the director also explained the The background of the story and the relationship between the characters make this part of the film concise and yet meticulous.
It is worth mentioning that when the teacher talked to the graduates about the country, obligations, etc., and tried to incite the students to join the army and serve the country, Paul, who was sitting in the corner of the classroom, concentrated on painting the bird resting outside the window. The act of distraction satirizes the "righteousness and awe-inspiring" of the teacher's words. It also reflects that although graduation is approaching, the young people are still childlike, kind and simple. This kind of personality is not commensurate with the bloody battlefield ahead, waiting for them. The job should be more stable and in line with personal characteristics. And when the battle was coming to an end, the classmates of the same class had passed away one by one. At the end of the winter, Paul himself became the platoon leader and welcomed younger recruits. In the trenches, he wrote letters to his comrades, checked After finishing the preparations of the soldiers, he suddenly found a little bird resting on a nearly dry branch not far away. He immediately pulled out a pen and paper to draw the bird's appearance. The outline jumped on the paper, and suddenly, with the sound of a gunshot, Paul slammed into the puddle, the pen and paper fell on his side, and was quickly submerged in the muddy water... I think the bird at this time has risen to become a representative The image of freedom, he started painting it without hesitation, completely forgetting that he was a veteran leading the team, the rich experience on the battlefield and the strong desire to survive were completely forgotten at this moment, he just wanted to capture this. The moment when free life stays, eager to appreciate its unrestrained demeanor.
As imperial warriors, young people cannot choose their own destiny and future. As long as the war does not stop for a day, they have to fight against the enemy on the front line with harsh conditions. The director made the same behavior of the protagonist appear at the beginning and end of the film at the same time, which not only makes the whole play echo before and after , but also let the audience experience Paul's psychological changes. If the painting of birds in the classroom reflects his mischievous and rebellious student days, the painting of birds in the trenches is Paul's call for peace. A truce means the reunion of relatives; a truce , which means that there is no need to take responsibility for the so-called "obligations"; a truce means that you have control over the future and say goodbye to the days of fear and fear. Doesn't the free-flying bird represent all of this, but it is the momentary forgetfulness and negligence that caused Paul to be shot to death.
In addition, the significance of this film lies in the exposure and reflection of the ugly original intention of the war. In an accident, Paul was forced to hide in a low-lying area. A French soldier turned over unexpectedly. In an instant, Paul took out a dagger and stabbed him twice. Since he didn't hit the key, the French soldier did not die immediately. He groaned, whimpered, and was in pain. In order to avoid the enemy's discovery, Paul tried several times to shoot him with a gun. However, looking at the confused and blood-gushing French soldier, he seemed to see his wounded and struggling comrade-in-arms. Gradually, Paul's psychology underwent a subtle change. In the battle field of crisis, his nationality was gradually forgotten, and the enemy who was stabbed in front of the protagonist became a simple wounded person. His miserable wail made Paul's nerves burst. Trembling and violent, he lifted the wounded's head, stuffed gauze into his wound and comforted him softly, but the French soldier died the next morning due to excessive blood loss.
From ruthlessly attacking the enemy to going forward to deal with his wounds, the male protagonist undoubtedly feels deep pain for hurting people's lives. Both sides of the war are life-and-death, the winner wins the right to live, while Paul went to ask for help after stabbing the other side with uneasy conscience. His behavior and position are diametrically opposite. The director uses this obvious contradiction to highlight Paul and many others. The warriors who are forced to go out on a war are of good character and integrity, rather than fighting out of their own intentions, and will inevitably bring great torment to the soul. The film itself, because of the existence of this contradiction, is more attractive.
It can be said that from <> has created a group of brave, loyal and responsible youth images represented by Paul, war is ruthless, in this sense , No matter the country, race, all the people involved suffer the same suffering and misfortune, maybe a certain country can get short-term benefits through this extreme way, but one generation, maybe several generations will pay for it with their lives and spiritual price.
Although the film lasted for a long time, even in the present world, it still has a profound warning significance. Through it, I seem to hear the heavy lament of a former war arrogant...
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