WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Movies: 1917, A Hidden Life, Jojo Rabbit + Midway
How do you tell a story about war? On which aspects do you focus? Do you spotlight soldiers at the frontline or families they leave behind? For as long as we have had wars we have had stories about them. From Homer’s epics, to Shakespeare’s History Plays, to Mel Brooks-style satires, every storyteller uses a different approach. Now, let’s take a look at four current films that each use a unique method to depict war.
1917
Sam Mendes based the plot for this film on a story told by his grandfather, Alfred Mendes. Set during World War I, the film follows two British soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) tasked with a mission to relay information to soldiers to save them from ambush. It’s a race against time and the two must cross enemy territory. Mendes’ approach focuses on the front lines and the soldiers doing what they can to win. 1917 opens on Christmas Day.
A Hidden Life
Instead of focusing on those on the battlefield, Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life tells the story of a conscientious objector. Set during World War II, the film focuses on Austrian farmer and devout Catholic Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl). He is imprisoned and sentenced to death after refusing to fight and support the Nazis. While 1917 was inspired, in part, by a story told to Mendes, it is mostly a work of fiction. On the other hand, A Hidden Life, is a fictionalized version of a true story. A Hidden Life opens on December 13, 2019.
Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit uses a revolutionary approach to a war movie. It focuses on how a child can be brainwashed to hate. Set in Germany, near the end of World War II, the film follows a boy, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), who is a Nazi fanatic. He is so enamored with Hitler that he creates an imaginary friend who is a clone of the Führer (Waititi).
His beliefs are thrown into a tailspin when he discovers his mother (Scarlett Johansson) has been harboring a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) inside their home. Jojo Rabbit was released October 18, 2019, see it in theaters now.
Midway
Roland Emmerich’s Midway utilizes an ensemble approach to story-telling. Like A Hidden Life and Jojo Rabbit, Midway is set during World War II, but not the war in Europe. Instead, it focuses on the battle of Midway in the Pacific theater between the Americans and Japanese.
Darren Criss and Nick Jonas in Midway
While not a biopic, the characters in Midway were inspired by actual soldiers and examines their experiences. Midway was released on November 9, 2019. See it in theaters now.
