When it comes to war, it is rather common for us to see films that glorify the violence, the supposed honor and patriotism, the glory of battle. This film works to undermine that. Rather it explores the troubling nature of PTSD, as surely a number of my compatriots have talked about here on this blog. To me, the entire form of the film works to exemplify the trauma of warfare. A distinct, popart style animation, coupled with a narrator that one can safely argue to be unreliable, it is easy to see how the film could be a critic on how we define reality and its link to memory and trauma.
However, when looking at the film as part of the whole that is the class, it becomes a more interesting counterpoint to the other films. While the general theme of the other films can be summarised to be a “us versus them” kind of juxtaposition, be it race or ethnicity or colonial oppression, this film internalises both parties into an argument that puts into conflict the self. In the film, an ex-soldier confronts his own actions and involvement in war. However, it is also important to note that the film silences those that were invaded, being told by the invaders, in a sort of self-victimising manner, it lulls the audience to sympathise for the aggressors, while recognising the attrocities of war. The real victims of the war are thus truly silent.
Perhaps that is the true nature of those who are victims of war. Even though we recognise the innocent civilians as obvious casualties, so too are the soldiers and combatants, many of which had as much choice in the war than the dead innocents. So as a voice of the victims, yes i guess this film works.
But the ultimate victims, those who paid the ultimate price of war, they never speak. They never can, and never will. Not for themselves, not ever. They are dead. Silent. Destined to be used as political tools by the living.