It’s actually quite easy. Just focus on the victims rather than the killers. Come and see, Grave of the Fireflies, Catch-22, All quiet on the Western Front, …
Band of Brothers is also a good one. War movies are so often the “moment of heroism” or tragedy, but in reality, it’s not a moment. It’s months, years on end of always being on full alert, where one false step one time is enough to die.
Bump for Come and See. I believe it’s a government sponsored Belarusian anti-war film and it’s pure horror. Watch that if you believe all war films glorify war.
You just need to embrace the glorifying war aspect like how Starship Troopers does it, and just be so ridiculously over the top that it’s blatantly obvious how over the top it is.
It’s a great example of media literacy, and specifically - thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.
The first reading is, holy shit, is Doogie Horrible wearing an SS uniform? This is fascist propaganda.
The second reading is, ah, everything goes terribly and nobody learns anything. This is an anti-fascist satire.
The third reading is… how are you different from these characters? What do you know, that they don’t, that would stop you from wanting to know more? This is a movie about how fascism happens.
I don’t know how to break it to you, but Paul Verhoven’s satire pieces (e.g. Starship Troopers, Robocop) are a little too good. Far too many people miss the point, even today, with the entire film spoiled and then some.
There a a saying that it’s impossible to make an anti-war movie, because they always end up glorifying war.
It’s actually quite easy. Just focus on the victims rather than the killers. Come and see, Grave of the Fireflies, Catch-22, All quiet on the Western Front, …
I’ve only watched Grave of the fireflies once. Can’t bring myself to watch it again.
Fun fact: that debuted as a double feature with My Neighbor Totoro.
Damn, that’s… oof. yikes. I hope Totoro was the first movie in that double feature.
Although, note to self if I ever open a drive-in movie place…
All Dogs Go To Heaven and Pet Semetary.
Babe and Vasa De Noces.
Fantastic Mr Fox and Antichrist.
Wall-E and Irreversible is a stretch.
So maybe Pinball Wizard and The Accused.
Band of Brothers is also a good one. War movies are so often the “moment of heroism” or tragedy, but in reality, it’s not a moment. It’s months, years on end of always being on full alert, where one false step one time is enough to die.
Bump for Come and See. I believe it’s a government sponsored Belarusian anti-war film and it’s pure horror. Watch that if you believe all war films glorify war.
Schindler’s List…
Also Gundam: War in the Pocket. Great miniseries that zooms way into a small conflict to really focus on how war effects everyone.
You just need to embrace the glorifying war aspect like how Starship Troopers does it, and just be so ridiculously over the top that it’s blatantly obvious how over the top it is.
I mean, there’s a lot of people who really misread starship troopers.
Yea, there’s a reason it’s a cult classic. Everyone thought it was support of fascism and glorifying violence when it was released
It’s a great example of media literacy, and specifically - thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.
The first reading is, holy shit, is Doogie Horrible wearing an SS uniform? This is fascist propaganda.
The second reading is, ah, everything goes terribly and nobody learns anything. This is an anti-fascist satire.
The third reading is… how are you different from these characters? What do you know, that they don’t, that would stop you from wanting to know more? This is a movie about how fascism happens.
I don’t know how to break it to you, but Paul Verhoven’s satire pieces (e.g. Starship Troopers, Robocop) are a little too good. Far too many people miss the point, even today, with the entire film spoiled and then some.
It would probably be easier if you didn’t use soldiers as your main characters.