Download War Films: Unusual Portrayals and Perspectives and more Study notes Music in PDF only on Docsity! Hello ! I hope you have enjoyed the trailer of We Were Soldiers and that it made you want to watch the film. In this document you will find the answers to the questions you had to answer. What do you expect a war film trailer to show ? A film trailer/preview is supposed to attract the audience/viewers/moviegoers by showing the most representative scenes of the genre, so a war film trailer should show action and fighting. It should also be exciting and suspenseful. Watch the trailer : is it what you expected ? The trailer is a typical war film trailer because we can see a lot of fighting and action.. But what is more unusual is that we also see the soldiers in their private / domestic lives. They have to deal with both their duties and their private lives. The film seems a bit patriotic: we can even see the flag of the USA at the end of the trailer. Watch the trailer again and note : - relevant information (characters, place, action) ; – how soldiers are portrayed ; – how « war » is defined by the characters, images and music. Relevant information : This film deals with US soldiers who are sent to Vietnam at the beginning of this conflict. We can see President Lyndon Johnson announcing he’ll send US troops to Vietnam. The main character, played by Mel Gibson, is a commanding offi cer who is married and has a son. The soldiers are represented/shown/portrayed/depicted as brave/courageous/bold, tough, accepting/uncomplaining but also sensitive, loyal to each other and united. They are shown not only as soldiers but also as men/human beings/as husbands and fathers. They are portrayed as self-sacrifi cing heroes fighting for a good cause and for their country. They are doing their duty: they are dutiful. War is defined by the images and the music as a noble duty to your country. There is a lot of imagery linked with the US nation (including a flag waving) and the music is quite dramatic. The focus is also on the relations between the soldiers in the trailer so war may also be seen as an opportunity to experience exceptional brotherhood and unity. Even though war is fought by soldiers, relatives have a part to play by supporting their husbands or fathers who are in the field. The character played by Mel Gibson, as a father, gives his son a rather simple definition of war. It might be because he wants his son to understand / accept his going to war, and it is diffi cult to explain war to a child. Or it can also be a statement about the film itself / perhaps it is a film in which patriotism is stressed, in which US soldiers are seen as defending US values, have no doubts about the righteousness of their duty. According to you, is this portrayal of war and soldiers typical of most US war films ? This portrayal of war is different from most US war films because it also focuses on the humanity of soldiers. Soldiers are portrayed as men who have feelings, who have private lives and families, who miss their families. It seems to be a touching/moving film.
