pic: AWM
I have been watching a lot of movies on the great wars of the world lately.
Schindler's List, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon and even Forest Gump. Even though these are Hollywood blockbusters, I have been learning a lot. At the end of most of these movies I have just felt sick. That's the only word I have for it all. Sick.
It's funny how at school you learn about world wars and other great world history and it just doesn't seem to sink in or interest you at all. I always appreciated Anzac day at school but never really cared to listen in history. I only chose to listen to ancient history. It is only now as I'm getting older I am learning, and appreciating this history. What these people went through, the hardships, the pain and suffering. Life just baffles me so much the more I learn about it.
One of my fave novel series is by John Marsden. The Tomorrow, When the War Began series. This is actually classified as "young adult". I love it. It just makes me imagine what it would be like in this day and age, for someone my age, whilst Australia was being invaded. Really are great reads and I've read them many times over.
I guess movies like this are a good way to reach out to younger people to visually show them the impact of what actually went on back then. I know after Schindler's List when my tears finally dried I stayed up quite late on the internet researching about WWII. My mum was telling me her grandad fought and died in WWI leaving behind his wife and five children. There was no centerlink payments for her back then. Families still suffer like this today. Not even to mention what the poor families in Iraq go through.
Anyway, I have been pondering this for a while now and cannot stress how much respect I have for everyone that had to go through that horror. Which brings me to the wars of today. The politics of if all is beyond me. Thanks to other bloggers like Abbey that make it easier for me to understand and create an opinion. I guess all I can do in my power is research the past as it is not just history, it is my history. The present? I will keep researching and create awareness.
So to all, thank you for your information and please keep it coming.
3 comments:
The first war movie that really impacted my life was "The Deer Hunter". It started out with a wedding and ended with the total destruction of lives from the Vietnam war. I admire you for paying attention. History unfortunately keeps repeating itself.
I remember the Deer Hunter to Indigo, seems in the 80's there was a rush of 'realistic' vietnam movies... Isnt it odd Vic this is the 3rd post I've read today on war movies...
My darling Loni said he found 'Jarhead' the closet to his war experience (I havnt watched it yet) and a war vetran told me 'We were soldiers' with Mel Gibson was close.
I think if you are young and war hasnt touched you, it is hard to relate and as you say movies give you a perspective. I agree with what you said about school... though history was easy most of it just went blah blah blah.....
I never really listened to politics till the Iraq war ... I knew no Iraqi was involved in terrorist attacks and when America blitz them I was shocked by the wrongness of it, it was illegal and not UN sanctioned. It was also disempowering as an individulal, I decided I could do nothing but stay informed and raise awareness...
I think part also is having a son of war age...I could relate to Iraqi mothers...
God love you got me on a roll...great post...x
Movies and books on the different conflicts that we are able to see or read do provide an insight into the different and complex issues of war and its effect on all involved.
Some of the movies that have been made on WW11 , I have found very informative - Battle of Britain,Battle of the Bulge,The Great Escape,Bridge on the River Kwai some of the movies that are made to be as historically correct as was possible, and a book written by an American colonel on Vietnam was a bit of an 'eyeopener' - esp when he states that the Americans were sure to lose if they maintained their tactics - he was certain that a different result was achievable if they had adopted the Australian tactics etc
Unfortunately, these are all events that came from political decisions, and how to prevent these decisions is another ballgame altogether
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