As an anti-war film, this film does not show too much the cruelty of war, but uses another way to continuously express and gradually improve the relationship between the two opposing sides. After that, the plot was brought to a new climax with the sharpening of the conflict, but in the end it still implied and symbolized the awakening of the people and the awakening of the soldiers.
At the beginning of the film, several children's push shots are not only the brainwashing of the people, but also the manifestation of the high-level class's performance of the war, as well as the impulse of the young people who later replaced the two brothers to participate in the war for honor. This is not only a manifestation of the extensiveness of national conscription at that time, but also the simplicity of the young people who joined the army at that time in their understanding of war. Then, when the camera shifts to the godfather, the close-up of the godfather's face and head, and even the scene where the candle that was just lit and went out behind him all paved the way for the following. Then switch to a female character in another country that corresponds to the previous godfather. The same is true on the battlefield afterwards, both of which respectively represent the prelude to the armistice.
There is also the battlefield. Although there is very little described here, the soldiers' reluctance to fight is also shown from the close-up of each person and the performance of the lens from the very beginning. Then there are the deaths one after another during the charge, the most prominent here being the fact that the person who appeared to be dead and was used to block the bullet was not dead. The moment he opened his eyes and looked at the commander. And the scene of the death of the two brothers before. All emphasis sections set the stage for what follows. Including the lost wallet of the French chief here and a picture of his wife.
Subsequent transport of the Christmas tree, in conversations with senior officials, stated that the transport of the Christmas tree was difficult, but then it was transported to the front line. The different but similar expressions of the two sides in the trenches are also a foreshadowing of the foreign New Year's truce. After that, it was the performance of women and male artists in the nearest city. On the one hand, the mistakes had special meanings. On the one hand, the performance of the officers and the silence of a person outside the door were all against the war. Silent performance.
In the trenches, it was also taking this as an opportunity, the two sides no longer fought, but retreated. Spend Christmas with each other and play chess together afterwards. The battlefield became a cemetery. But here the foreshadowing of the two brothers at the beginning is further deepened. So much so that when the last shot was fired, most people resisted, but there were still people who shot. On the one hand, it is due to the wrong guidance of the official priest, and on the other hand, it is the hatred left in the heart that is inevitable in the war. This is also very helpless but unavoidable.
Finally, the relocation of the troops on the French front line and the smashing of the harmonica they carried are also a political statement against others, but they still cannot suppress the doubts of the war in the hearts of the soldiers and people. Needless to say, this is a different anti-war film, and it is also a very straightforward and well-executed film.
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