What is the reason why Sam Peckinpah, the master of ``The Cross of Iron,'' threw himself into this work, rejecting the offers of ``Superman'' and ``King Kong''?

"My Village Was a Battlefield" and "Honoo 628" depict the tragedy of the Eastern Front

Incidentally, another important element in "The Cross of Iron" is the presence of "child soldiers." They run around as messengers and scouts among the adult soldiers. In this film, the protagonist saves the life of an enemy child soldier, and a subtle emotional bond develops between them. Needless to say, war is not just about adults, it also sacrifices and consumes these young children. There is no doubt that the appearance of this boy gives us a multifaceted perspective on understanding extreme situations.

Many war films set on the Eastern Front during World War II include the perspective of boy soldiers, such as Andrei Tarkovsky's directorial debut, " The Battlefield ."

A cuckoo sings in the forest, filled with sunlight filtering through the trees. The boy's expression is filled with happiness as he innocently plays with his mother and sister - Tarkovsky's characteristic poetic visual beauty is already present at this point. However, when he suddenly wakes up from the dream, the boy soldier's feelings as he is forced to face the reality of war emerge with a poignant intensity. The efforts of the soldiers to transport him to a safe place are impressive, but the sight of the boy's determination to take on a dangerous mission surpasses all of that and is shocking.

And there is another shocking work called " 628 ". A boy from a village occupied by German troops joins the partisans despite his family's opposition. As he continues his activities there, he is exposed to hellish experiences in which his hometown is burned, all his family members are killed, the surrounding villages are attacked, and he himself is put in an extreme situation. There are no rental DVDs of this work (which is why it is sometimes called a "Inferno film"), so if you really want to watch it, the only way is to buy the DVD for sale or rent a video from a limited number of stores. However, I happened to find a tape I had recorded on TV a long time ago at my parents' house, and when I watched it for the first time in 20 years, I was deeply shocked all over again.

These films are often painful to watch. But we continue to watch them because the filmmakers are filled with a strong sense of mission to tell the story. It is often said that "film is entertainment," but when you watch films like "My Village Was a Battlefield" and "628 Fire," you will understand that the true essence of film is the exchange of feelings between filmmakers and audiences. If you have the opportunity, you should take the time to watch these classic war films and renew your feelings for peace, so that you can think about the wars that are still happening somewhere in the world and avoid repeating the mistakes that humanity has made.

reference)

"Sam Peckinpah" (Garna Simmons, translated by Endo Sumiko and Suzuki Reiko, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 1998)

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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*Information as of September 2017 article publication.