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As a theme that can not only express human nature but also reflect the cruelty of war, and advocate the concept of peace, the theme of war has always been favored by many directors and screenwriters, and has also attracted the attention of many fans. In the war-themed film and television works, there has never been a lack of World War II figures, such as the well-known "Saving Private Ryan", "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist", which have received good word-of-mouth and evaluation.
So the film that Wheat wants to share with you today is also set in World War II, but it is different from the same type of works that we have seen in the past, that is, the French film directed by Christine Dewar - "A Bag of Marbles".
Stills from "A Bag of Marbles"
"A Bag of Marbles" is adapted from the autobiographical novel of the famous French contemporary writer Joseph Joof, that is to say, the original novel is based on real people and true events, the film was released in France in 2017, the overall view belongs to a relatively niche film work, did not win any too high awards, but many viewers who have watched this work have been deeply moved, and the domestic Douban has also given a rating of 8.2 points. Because it barely involves the depiction of war scenes, it uses the perspective of a pair of young Jewish brothers to let the audience feel the cruelty of war and the fluttering of the background as individuals in the context of the big time.
The plot of this movie Wheat will not be repeated here, because it is more suitable for us to experience quietly and quietly, so next Wheat will share with you the touching place of this movie~
We always say that the most innocent people in war are the children who are not familiar with the world, who should have had a happy and happy childhood, but they are forced to bear the pressure that they should not be at this age, as shown in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "The Little Boy", and also like this "Bag of Marbles". Growing up in Paris, two young Jewish brothers Morris and Joe originally had a happy family, until the German Nazi iron hooves landed on this peaceful land, in order to avoid pursuit, the two brothers and their families went their separate ways, encountering various hardships and tribulations along the way, just to survive, just to reunite with their families.
This is also the more brutal part of the film, for children in wartime, obviously reaching the age of unrestrained, playful, carefree, but they have to flee for their lives to escape the German Nazis and massacres. Maybe one second they are still playing innocently, the next second they are caught off guard and fall into a situation of displacement, life and death, and some are even ignorant of the meaning of war, and they lose their young lives.
In Wheat's view, while using the flight of a young brother to show the cruelty of war and call for peace, the film also conveys some other emotions to us, including fatherly love, growth, and the brilliance of humanity in war.
The first is Fatherly Love.
Father as one of the most important existences affecting children, in the face of war, the father is like the most powerful force and support behind the children, how to show their discipline and patriotism by not going to the battlefield, the father in the film chooses to bravely defend the dignity of the nation in front of the enemy for his compatriots, and refuses to provide services for the enemy. Especially in front of children, this is a great influence and role model, but also a noble feeling of loving their own race.
During World War II, the Jewish people had a special symbol, the hexagram badge, which many people avoided when they saw people wearing the hexagram badge, or regarded them as outliers, even among children. The two brothers had fought with those people because others ridiculed and belittled their compatriots, and it was under the influence of their fathers that they could bravely seek justice for their compatriots, which was the shining place in human nature, for their own people, for their own compatriots, for what they believed in, to stand up and speak.
When it comes to survival, the father showed a wise side, he chose to let the family not recognize the Identity of the Jew to anyone, and even slapped the children to ensure that the children could survive the Torture of the German Nazis. Some people say that the father's practice is contrary to the previous love of the nation, but in fact, this is precisely a manifestation of wisdom, because in the face of the love of the nation, as a father, he also shoulders an important responsibility, that is, to ensure the safety of his family. This reminds me of Guido, the father of Beautiful Life, who, although they have different methods, have only one purpose, so that their family can survive safely and avoid killing.
The second is growth.
Along the way to escape the German Nazi capture, the brothers experienced many thrills and trials, and gradually showed a witty and calm side, under the influence of their father and the good wishes to reunite with their families, their hearts were full of courage and the strength to live, which was in stark contrast to the age of the two who were not familiar with the world and were prone to impulsiveness.
The cruelty of war to children is unquestionable, but what cannot be ignored is that there are also many children who grow up in such war years, and what supports them is undoubtedly the hope of family and survival, just like the two brothers in the film, when the last two lie to save the boss who hates Jews, they are like their own fathers, retaining the most beautiful side of human nature in that chaotic world, and then releasing it when it is most needed, ordinary and great.
Finally, there is the brilliance of human nature.
On the two brothers' escape, their own wisdom and bravery are important, but without the help of well-meaning people, they can't get through the test a lot, such as the doctor who shields their priest on the train, examines their body and keeps secrets, and the doctor himself is sent to a concentration camp because of his Jewish status, even in the last moment before leaving, he is still taking care of the sick Joe, leaving the opportunity to survive to the young man.
It reminds me of Schindler, who rescued more than 1,100 Jews during World War II, Wayne, an officer who used his authority to save pianist Spielman, and John Bella, who negotiated with the Japanese army to save nearly 300,000 chinese compatriots. War is not only the ugliness of human nature, but also the brilliance of human nature, goodness has nothing to do with race, country, party, faith, it exists in the bottom of everyone's heart, you do not know when a selfish person will reach out to others, nor do you know when a person with great love will look at the situation of others, but no matter when, we must remain kind, because that is the best side of human nature.
All in all, there are many things that this film expresses, which are touching and worth watching.
(This article is original by Wheat Watch Movie, if you need to learn from it, please be sure to identify!) ）