Gallipoli - Benjamin Hilton

Title/Year: Gallipoli, 1981

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Peter Weir, Australia, 1944

Budget:  AUD 2,600,000 (estimated) 

Gross: $5,732,587 (USA)

Synopsis: Two young Australians realize the true horror of war after signing up to fight in World War I.

Political/ Social Commentary: Film about the loss of innocence when the characters realize the inhumanity of war.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: World War I, war, Australia, Turkey, runners, race, loss of innocence, Light Horse, Eygpt, death, friendship, messenger, ineffective military leadership, inhumanity, glorified war

Main Character/Arc: Archy grows from being a young man with a glorified view of war to realizing the true horror of war.

Notable Collaboration: Mel Gibson co-stared in this movie with Mark Lee. This movie helped launch Gibson’s career, even though he had stared in 2 Mad Max movies prior to this one.

Historical relevance/recognition: This film is a fictional retelling of an actual battle that took place in WWI. The actual battle of Gallipoli was as devastating as it was portrayed in the movie, with Australia loosing thousands of men.

Etc.: The writer, David Williamson, stared as the tall dark haired football player from the football scene in Eygpt.

Lord Slim, a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign, stated that those who had been in charge of the campaign were the worst in the British Army.

1.  The movie shows military incompetence towards the end of the film. The first sign of this is when the watches of the bombers and the Major leading the attack are unsynchronized. This causes the Light Horse soldiers to be easily killed by the Turkish army. Then Colonel is inconvincible of how badly the Australian Light Horse regiment is being defeated, and tells them to continue fighting, despite the pleas from the Major.

2.  The film shows the soldiers as victims of war. The film portrays this by showing the injured and dead in a realistic manner. The soldiers don’t seem to be scared of war or death until they actually enter battle.

3.  The film achieves melodrama through its dramatic shifts in tone. From the light heartedness of the training camps where the men all fall down and play dead, or when they go swimming at the beach and cheer a man who got hit by shrapnel, to the gritty, bloody results of them attempting to storm the trenches of the Turks.

4.  The enemy is portrayed as being evil. The audience never sees the enemy, and when they do, they are violent and ruthless in their attack. Shooting men who are crawling back to their side, and using automatic weapons like machine guns.

(historical facts)           http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gallipoli.htm

(movie facts)    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082432/

A Very Long Engagement (2004) by Noelle Henderson

Title/Year: A Very Long Engagement, 2004

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, b.1953

Budget: $47,000,000 (estimated)

Gross: $70,115,868 (Worldwide)

Synopsis: A young French woman sets out in search of her fiancé, whom she believes may still be alive despite being reported as killed in the line of duty during WWI.

Political/Social Commentary: Depicts the dark side of war and that it is not glamorous.  That the soldiers aren’t heroes, but rather just men trying to survive minute to minute.  Shows that soldiers aren’t invincible and experience great consequences and trauma if they have survived. 

Narrative and Visual Keywords: War, melodrama, blood, death, survival, vengeance, true love, passion, determination, mystery, closure, hope, relentlessness, countryside, battleground, trenches, France, Germany, detective, truth, commitment, disease, violence, romanticism, sacrifice, trauma, despair, conflict, heartbreak, grief, narration, multiple storylines. 

Camera/Lighting/Editing Technique: The lighting in the war scenes was very dark and eerie, and the lighting in the scenes with Mathilde had a yellow tint that was much brighter and hopeful.  There were a couple prolonged shots with Mathilde when she was trying to run and catch up to Manech after he had just left for the war.  Also the last scene when she was walking through the garden to Manech.  There weren’t many quick cuts except for in the battle scenes, because overall the movie had a slow pace to it.  

Main Character/Arc: Mathilde is a hopelessly in love heroine determined to prove her fiancé is still alive.  She continues to be hopeful despite her low chance of success and no one else believing her.  She follows her intuition to love and closure of the past. 

Notable Collaboration: Hervé Schneid is a very highly acclaimed editor and has edited all six of Jeunet’s films.  Dominique Pinon who played Mathilde’s uncle, has taken part in all of Jeunet’s films as well.  Other notable actors that Jeunet has worked with in his previous work include, Audrey Tautou (Mathilde), Ticky Holgado (Germain Pire), and Jean-Claude Dreyfus (Major François Lavrouye). 

Historical Relevance/Recognition: Nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography in the 2004 Academy Awards.  Also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in the 2005 Golden Globe Awards. 

Random Fact, Etc: In the opening scene a soldier lights his cigarette with a lantern, but it never lights and he pretends to smoke it anyway.  Jean-Pierre Jeunet met Jodie Foster (whom he later casted in A Very Long Engagement) in Paris at the cafe which was used to shoot scenes in Amelie.  While they were talking, some tourists asked them to move so that they could take a picture of the cafe that they knew was featured in Amelie.

Sources: 

http://jpjeunet.com/ 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/ 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_long_dimanche_de_fiançailles_(film)#Cast

1. Yes, I found this particularly relevant in any scene with Major Lavrouye. The main one that sticks out is when he is delivered a list of prisoners that are to be released, and instead of carrying out the order he purposely ruins it by getting it wet in his bathtub.  In the scene he is shown as very obviously being wealthy and living extravagantly.  In scenes before this one the soldiers are shown living in mud trenches and suffering from injury and disease, meanwhile this major is shown being pampered while taking a bath.  This displays the large gap in social class and the carelessness and narcissism of the higher ranks, who lack compassion so much that a soldier is just a number to them and sparing their lives is just a burden. 

2. The film very clearly depicts soldiers as suffering victims through scenes of them bleeding out, being blown up, their brains being blown out, dying of cold and disease, and living like animals in the trenches.  I think what showed this the most was when the five prisoners were sentenced to be executed by their own men, and were completely powerless over being killed even by their own side.  

3. Yes, in this film I think it offered both romantic and war melodrama.  Through the whole Mathilde storyline it was romantic and exaggerated because it was so unlikely that she would succeed, but she was determined to because she was so in love.  There was one scene when she was hobbling to beat the car to the bend and if she did that meant Manech would come home alive.  During this scene like many others, there was very dramatic music played and very beautiful and picturesque shots of the countryside.  On the war side of things, the melodrama was mostly with the very violent and gory scenes of people being killed.  A scene that sticks out was when a man’s insides exploded onto Manech and after that moment experienced a mental break.  

4. I think the enemy is portrayed as atrocious, especially with Major Lavrouye’s character.  It is hard to fathom that a man could so carelessly rip up a paper that was to save five men’s lives, much less by a man that was supposed to be on their side and advocate for them.  It seemed a bit exaggerated in which the way he did it, by splashing it around in his bath water and getting a sense of pleasure out of it.  As far as the Germans go, they were definitely portrayed as relentless and rather heartless.  Especially when the German soldier shot the man that was surrendering and pathetically begging for his life.  As well as when the French were charging and the Germans mass murdered them so quickly and effortlessly. 

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) By Sungjin In

Title/Year: Lawrence of Arabia 1962
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: David Lean / England / 1908

Budget: $15,000,000 (estimated)
Gross: $70,000,000(Worldwide) (January 2004)

Synopsis: During the war between British and Turkey over Suez Canal, British sends Lawrence (Peter O'Toole),  to Arabia to ask for tactical support from Arabian leaders.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: Imperialism, Epic battle. WWI, Based on true story, War.

Characterization/ Dialogue: Based on true story of T.E. Lawrence. Lawrence goes to Arabia under order from British millitary, to ensure the millitary support from Arabian leaders against Turkish millitary.

Camera/lighting/editing technique: Lots of lontakes in shots from desert. Seems like they only used natural light source in desert. Some desert scenes were poorly under exposed(could been from digital remaster).

 Political/ Social Commentary: Lawrence does not agree with his Governments, but still trys to carry out order in his own way.

Historical Relevance/ Recognition:

List of award winning.
35th Academy Awards(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)Best Picture-Sam Spiegel
Best Director-David Lean
Best Art Direction- John Box, John Stoll and Dario Simoni
Best Cinematography-Frederick A. Young
Best Substantially Original Score-Maurice Jarre
Best Film Editing-Ann V. Coates
Best Sound-John Cox
Best Actor-Peter O'Toole(nominated)
Best Supporting Actor-Omar Sharif(nominated)
Best Adapted Screenplay-Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson(Nominated)

16th British Academy Film Awards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
Best Film from any Source-Sam Spiegel and David Lean
Best British Film-Sam Spiegel and David Lean
Best British Actor-Peter O'Toole
Best British Screenplay-Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson
Best Foreign Actor-Anthony Quinn

20th Golden Globe Awards(Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
Best Motion Picture and Drama-David Lean and Sam Spiegel
Best Director of a Motion Picture-David Lean
Best Supporting Actor-Omar Sharif
Most Promising Newcomer: Male-Omar Sharif
Best Cinematography, Color-Frederick A. Young
Most Promising Newcomer: Male-Peter O'Toole(Nominated)

Notable Collaboration: Based on True story. This movie was made before special effect was introduced to movie. It has inspired many directors, such as Goeorge Lucas, and Steven Spielburg. Spielburg once said, it will take more than 280 million dollars in modern days to reproduce the movie the way it was done before.

Random fact, Etc : When sony pictures Digitally remastered this film, films were in bad shape. it was due to that the work was done in desert. High temperature had imprinted workers finger prints on the film which made sony pictures job harder than it is.
makeup..... it reaqlly throws me off. Lawrence pratically lives in desert for couple of month and his hair never changes his skin only has single tone. Always looks nice and combed really nice, it wouldnt be messed up by anything. Even when he takes turbon off hair is still.

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/
http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=972236&mobile&categoryId=1391
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film)

1. Conflict between two diffrent classes through out the movie is very obvious. Like the British club house scene. But in this movie, ineffective millitary leadership seems to be coming from imperialism not from the conflict of two different class.

2. Post trauma syndrom was illustrated very dramatically from character Lawrence's POV when he comes back from capture.

3. Not so much of melodramatic element was shown in this movie, It is not just ordinary classical story of hero, since we already know he dies at the end realizing nothing was changed.

4. Enemy was portraited as perverted and reuthless in the scene when Lawrence was captured.

Homework Week 3

  Choose one of the following films and post your analysis by class next week. Remember to include a photo, the template and answered reaction questions.

Theme One – The Unit

Paratroop Command – William Witney

Kanal – Andrzej Wajda

The Big Red One – Samuel Fuller

The Thin Red Line – Terrence Malick

Theme Two – foreign experiences of WWII

Grave of Fireflies –  Isao Takahata

Rome Open City – Roberto Rossellini

Das Boot – Wolfgang Petersen

Come and See – Elem Klimov

Reaction Questions.

1. Are they any evident elements of an evolving group integration?

2. Are there any scenes where self-sacrifice is apparent?

3.  Answer TWO of the following question on analyzing characterization: 

          *Identify the central (most important) character or characters. Which characters are static and which ones are developing? Which characters are flat and which ones are round?

          *What methods of characterization are employed and how effective are they?

          *Which of the characters are realistic and which ones are exaggerated for effect?

          *Is each character’s motivation sound? Which actions grow naturally out of the characters themselves, and where does the filmmaker seem to be manipulating them for his/her purpose?

         *What facets of the central character’s personality are revealed by what he chooses or rejects?

          *Pick out bits of dialogue, visual images, or scenes which you consider especially effective in revealing character and tell why they are effective.

 

         *Which characters function as stock characters and stereotypes and how can the presence of each be justified in the film?

         *Which minor characters function to bring out the personality traits of the major characters? What do they help reveal?

 

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) by BRYAN TOSH

Title/Year: Lawrence Of Arabia - 1962

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: David Lean - England - 1908

Budget: $15 Million

Gross: $70 Million (Worldwide)

Synopsis: Based on the story of Colonel T.E. Lawrence and his exploits during WWI in helping the Arab National Council. Lawrence is conflicted with the violence of war and with his loyalties to his native British versus his new found brothers-in-arms. 

Narrative and Visual Keywords: biography - middle east - loyalty - flashback - memoir - internal conflict - reluctant hero 

Characterization/ Dialogue: "The trick is NOT minding it hurts." Some have said that Lawrence had a sadomasochist nature about him.

Camera/lighting/editing technique: Known as THE sweeping epic that defines the epic. A variety of gorgeous establishing and landscape shots. Shot using the Super Panavision 70 format.

Political/ Social Commentary: T.E. Lawrence was a scholar and a very educated man. He is portrayed as such in this film, but also as a bumbling soldier, not considered fit for "real" military action. Lawrence is a conflicted man. He represents the conflicted nature that many people feel during war time. He struggles with his loyalties to his British military and, on a grander scale, his country. He finds he is also devoted to his new comrades in the Arab tribes that he leads in a revolt against the Turks. 

Historical Relevance/ Recognition: Nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 1963, winning 7. (Best Picture, Best Director, Art Direction, Cinematography, Score, Editing, and Sound)

Notable Collaboration: Cinematographer Freddie Young has worked with David Lean three consecutive times, winning the Oscar for Best Cinematography each time. 

Random fact, Etc: Sir Alec Guiness plays a the role of Prince Feisal. He would go on to play a pivotal role in a little sci-fi opera known as Star Wars. The role, of course, was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

1. There was indeed some evidence in ineffective military leadership depicted in this film. How much of the ineffective leadership was due to upper-class ineptitude is something that either doesn't exist in this movie or I just simply did not pick up on. Lawrence (O'Toole) is a Lieutenant in the beginning of the film. His leaders do not think he is capable of any kind of military action of importance. One meeting with Prince Faisal (Guiness), however changes things. The Prince wants to hear what Lawrence has to say and he agrees to letting him lead his tribe across the desert. One scene where social class and cultural difference is evident stuck with me. A scene between Lawrence and Ali (Omar Sharif) early on tells us all we need to know about their differences. Lawrence, as we know at this point, is very well educated and flamboyant. Ali is simply proud of the fact that he can "both read AND write."

2. I think we see a bit of both issues in Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence is a conflicted soldier. Not only is he conflicted with the violence of war, but he is conflicted in his loyalties as well. He does, however, have a code he follows during his operations. During a very long trek through a treacherous part of the desert, one of the men gets left behind during the night. Ali pleads with Lawrence not to go back and that it is too late. Lawrence does what he knows is right and without thought of his own fate, heads back to find the missing man. Later, Lawrence is forced to execute the very man he saves in order to keep peace between two rival tribes and for the greater good of the mission. 

3. This film was not about the melodrama, but more about the hero and his plight during wartime. There were no romantic scenarios played out or poses woven in. We see Lawrence as a reluctant hero who rises to the occasion, and to the surprise of his superiors, comes through in the end. 

4. The Turks are the common enemy of the Arab tribes and the British, but there side of the story is not really portrayed. We know they are the enemy, pure and simple. No exaggerations of atrocity until the second part. The train attack sequence, we do see a Turk fire on Lawrence and hit him in the shoulder. Another sequence, Lawrence is caught and tortured, then thrown out on the streets. 

References:
- www.imdb.com
- www.boxofficemojo.com
- www.wikipedia.org

Sergeant York by Kevin Fisk

Title/Year : Sergeant York (1941)
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Howard Hawks/Goshen, Indiana/1896
Budget: $1.4 million
Gross: $4 million 
Synopsis: A true story about a Tennessee country boy (Alvin York) that finds religion in his life and tries to dodge the draft for WWI.  After denied appeals, York ends up in the war only to become one of the most decorated heroes in the war.
Political/ Social Commentary: Attitude of Australians toward the British, the importance of bringing the fight to the enemy so the fight doesn't come to them.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: Sharp-shooter, Southern hospitality, Pro-war
Main Character/Arc: Alvin York is introduced as a nice young man who takes care of his mother and siblings, but enjoys drinking and fighting when away from the house.  When he is denied a piece of land, he almost turns violent but after being struck by lightning, finds religion in his life and ultimately the errors of his ways.  When dodging the draft is unsuccessful, he joins the war, and is immediately seen as a leader on the battlefield due to his impressive marksmanship with a rifle.  An American history book wins Alvin over, and he decides fighting for his country is most important to him.
Notable Collaboration: William Keighley was scheduled to direct but took another job when shooting was postponed.
Historical relevance/recognition:  Sergeant York became the highest grossing movie of 1941, and remains one of the highest grossing when adjusted for inflation.  The huge success at the box office can be attributed by the attack on pearl harbor, which happened while the film was in theaters.
Etc.: The film helped recruit soldiers for WWII with it's patriotic theme.

1.  as far as evidence of ineffective military leadership,  there was none.  This film was created to inspire people to fight for their country.  Alvin York made his duty to his country look easy.  There was however, evidence of ineffective leadership on the German front.  Some of the soldiers calling them "dumb animals".  The first act of the film portrays York as a working class hillbilly who scrapes to get by and yearns for a piece of "bottom land".  Once York gets to military boot camp, he is treated just as one of the guys; his upbringing becomes irrelevant to the other soldiers.  When he comes back from the war as a decorated war hero,  his social status seems to be elevated.

2.  The film uses the protagonist York as a strong man who after wrestling with his morals, ultimately decides to follow the code of honor and fight for his country.  The film shows him making the right decision as he is showered with praise and adulation upon his return.

3.  All the familiar pleasures of cinema are present in this film.  When the female lead Gracie is introduced, she has a shallow depth of feel and a twinkle in her eye.  She catches Alvin York's attention along with the audience's, and there is a definite feel of romance for the viewer.  Love at first sight for the two of them.

4.  The Germans are portrayed as big dumb animals who are sloppy during war and as cowards who surrender easily. 

The African Queen By Bradley Davis

Title/Year-The African Queen/1951

Director/Birth Country/Year Born-John Huston /USA/1906

Budget- $1,300,000

 Gross-$4,000,000 in US and Canada

Synopsis-In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.

Narrative and Visual Keywords-River boat,water, war,romance, adventure, comedy.

Characterization/ Dialogue-The African Queen is a sterling example of the kind of rollicking adventure that makes classic film enthusiasts pine for the old days. It has it all: action, comedy, and romance that unfold in a perfect synergy of plot, character, and dialogue. The film was deservedly nominated for four key Oscars

Camera/lighting/editing technique-Technicolor camera, bad special effects and script flaws.


Historical Relevance/ Recognition-Historical inaccuracies,The biggest problem I have with this film is, however, the lack of historical accuracy. The film suggests that Germans in East Africa at the start of WW1 had the upper hand, as well as intention and resources to conquer the whole continent, using the same brutal force and employing same methods as Nazis would use in WW2. Nothing could be farther from the truth. German colonies were scattered and isolated from mother country, manned by small garrisons and generally destined to be easily taken over by superior forces stationed in bordering Entente colonies

Notable Collaboration- John Huston and Humphrey Bogart. The Maltese Falcon-1941,The Treasure of the sierra madre-1948

Random fact, Etc-Humphrey Bogart won Academy Award for best actor for his role in The African Queen. Its was his only Academy Award.


Sources:WWW.answers.com
WWW.IMDb.com
WWW.Wikipedia.com

 1. Did you find any evidence of ineffective military leadership (associated with upper-class ineptitude) that is compensated for through hard work and commitment of the lowly infantryman? Yes, The German solders came into the village The commander with out speaking told the men to destroy the village and burn it to the ground. 

2. Does the film show a suffering soldier as a victim of war rather than exposing the structure of violence and presenting soldiers as elements in it? Or does it portray the soldier as a strong individual following codes of honor and duty How does the film achieve this point of view? It shows two people fighting against the German army.A man and a women trying to help out England and sink a ship. There code is one of patriotism, witch makes it there duty.

3. Does the film offer the audience the familiar pleasures of cinema – the romantic scenarios and melodramatic poses woven into a more direct and immediate sense of war?The river scene when the Germans where shooting at the boat. With out warning the boat went right off the rapids, when all hope was the lost,they made it through.After that they found them self embraced in a hug and almost kiss. The struggle they go through to get the boat on the lake gives the feeling that at any coast they must take care of the Germans.The two tried to sink a battle ship and there ship went down, they were captured by the Germans. They showed there love by getting married by the German Captain.

4. Is the enemy portrayed as neutral or through hysterical exaggerations of atrocity? The enemy in this film are the Germans. They come across as being evil in every scene, the music change makes you feel how bad the Germans are.

Doctor Zhivago (1965) by Kerry Kutzer

Title/Year: Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: David Lean/England/1908

Budget: $11 Million

Gross: $111,721,910

Synopsis: Set against the back drop of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia & WWI, Doctor Zhivago tells the story of Yuri Zhivago a Russian doctor/poet who's prosperous life is torn apart by revolution, war, and forbidden love.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: Family, war, revolution, romance, power shift, authority, excessive force, cold, strife, desperation, corruption, class warfare, heartbreak, death.

Character Arc: Yuri Zhivago lives a near perfect life until war sends him away from his family and into a forbidden romance with a married woman.  He struggles to stay faithful to his wife & family until he finally gives into his carnal desires.  Yuri fights for what he believes to be right and just in a world of chaos and turmoil.

Camera/lighting/editing technique: Big/epic shots, dramatic lighting/hard shadows, sweeping score, heavy dialogue

Political/ Social Commentary: The film focuses on the struggles of the upper class vs. the lower class people and the latter's revolution gain power over their country.  It also shows how ideals can change and power corrupting.

Historical Relevance/ Recognition: Won 5 out of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for in 1966 and is ranked #39 in AFI's 100 Greatest Films of the Last Century.

Notable Collaboration: Composer Maurice Jarre also composed the music for David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and A Passage to India (1984).

Random fact, Etc.: Maurice Jarre's score for Doctor Zhivago was widely regarded as the film's best attribute.  Director David Lean, however, did not care for it calling it, "overly romantic.

Sources Cites:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=doctorzhivago.htm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059113/

Responce Questions:

1)  The whole back drop of this film revolves around the tension between the upper class in power and the lower class fighting for power.  There are a few scenes in the film in which this battle is portrayed.  Firstly, there is the scene showing the Bolshevik's peaceful march down the streets.  As they march they are brutally attacked by police without provocation.  The other is later in the film when the war is on.  We see a Russian officer attempt to spur his troops into battle to no avail.  It is only when Pasha, "one of them" if you will, jumps up and urges his fellow comrades to join him, that the troops move.  These scenes depict the rift between those in charge and the common man.

2)  The main arc of this film shows a man who is clearly a victim of war.  Yuri Zhivago is a man, who through war and conflict, is torn from his future and family.  At the beginning of the film, Zhivago is a young, virile man with all the potential in the world.  When put through the trials of war and the rise of the Red Army, he is beaten and torn apart, leaving him dead and alone by the end of the film.

3)  I do believe that this film gives us all the pleasures of the cinematic experience.  For example, early in the film, we see the funeral of young Yuri's mother.  The music swells, flocks of birds fly away, the world moves in slow motion.  Moments like this define this movie.  The epic showdown between the police and Bolsheviks is just another example of the many melodramtic elements of the film. 

4) This film is difficult because the enemy force changes throughout the film.  In the opening act we see an oppressive upper-class and government.  As the film carries on and the revolutionaries take power, they become corrupted and oppressive.  While both enemies do comit atrocities in the film, there's never a moment where I felt that it was overly exaggerated.  I feel that the enemy force was treated pretty neutral in this film.

A Very Long Engagement (2004) by Christiane Butler

Title/Year - A Very Long Engagement, 2004

Director/Birth Country/Year Born - Jean-Pierre Jeunet - France - 1953Budget - $56.6 MillionGross - 90.1 Million (Worldwide)Synopsis - A young French woman with polio searches for her fiancé who was drafted into the war.Narrative and Visual Keywords - Flash back, detective, letters, melodrama, long-lost-love.Political/ Social Commentary – War is bad, soldiers went to extremes to get out of fighting.Historical Relevance/ Recognition – The battle of the SommeNotable Collaboration – Director had worked with Audrey Tautou in Amelie, 2001, the music composer Angelo Badalamenti in City of Lost Children, and Dominique Pinon in City of Lost Children, 1995

1. Yes, the high ranked officer is relaxing in a bathtub or having his way with women in every scene we see him in. He purposefully gets an order to release some infantry men wet (Messing up the writing & making it illegible) just so he doesn’t have to follow the order.

2. The soldiers are mostly victims in this movie. Almost none chose to be there, and the main soldier character all chose to mutilate them selves in an attempt to get sent home.

3. Yes, it has a very strong romantic feel. While there are scenes that are not romantic, the whole purpose of the plot is romantic. The main male character, her fiancé who was sent to war, is scene carving notes about their future marriage on trees in the battle field.

4. We don’t really see a whole lot of the enemy, there is one scene in which we see the sister of a German who was at the same battle and she feels the plight of the main character and tries to assist her with some knowledge she has of what happened at the battle.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=verylongengagement.htm

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041216/REVIEWS/41201006/1023