Hello Gary / Trackpad !
In general there are movies that follow the main-stream adventure-movie pattern with the difference only in the background
of the story - I think "Fly Boys" will be such a film.
The other type are those who really do mix historic facts with a novel story - the way Jack London did his stories.
The least seen is the reenacting of real world historic events - without the well known path of Hollywood-swagger, showing normal people struggling with the events they were thrown into.
Paths of Glory is one of those theatre-like dramas that are based on historic events without Indiana Jones -like action to
tell on the not so obvious sides of military behaviour.
Italy - in general - is regarded as a country of classic culture, beautiful women, wine, beautiful landscapes and pleasant
nice and friendly, non-aggressive people.
Eventually one has to notice that everywhere men are able to bring the worst out of their kin in contradiction to what prejudice or
'advertising' labels on people, especially the foe.
It is largely forgotten, that the social class differences were huge then and that the high brass did not care much for the lives of their soldiers.
(think of the non-distribution of parachutes to RFC pilots on purpose! - it was thought that the pilot will abort a fight to soon
and be less aggressive wearing a chute... - that is really evil; what shall a soldier think of his own country that denies him his life?)
This indeed is a European phenomenom at that time - and not at all typical , for example, only for the German side.
After Caporetto / Isonzo I think one out of ten Italien soldiers at this front was shot for punishment for running away...
The only country that always liked to put into the fight ordnance first, souls later, were the USA (in most cases).
Benito Mussolini, then chief editor of the biggest trade union newspaper, son of a radical leftwing agitator blacksmith, voted openly for Italy going to war in WW I .... and as the "Man of the Century" (baptized by British Press), the fascist movement leader went to war along the German side .
One may ask what a brave and patriotic Italian soldier shall think about those contradictory facts ?
Of course, the downsides of behaviour will always not be talked upon; one will be accused of making one's own nest dirty.
Furthermore after victory one will show oneself in the best lighting conditions and will blame everything on the looser.
The official heroic picture has more in common with the Picture of Dorian Grey than with honest reality.
Reality often hurts.
This, of course, does not diminish the bravery of all combattants, who had to struggle on in those days.
After WW 1 literature on the Great War peaked- it was a monstrous traumatizing event to the soldiers of all nations,
a culture shock and an upside-down for European society let loose by European establishment money-political-military
misleadership in a time when every nation felt to be THE master of the world.
Three new Finnish films on the fight against overwhelming Russia in WW2 are good examples of beeing realistic without
overdone action-bloodshed for the shudder-effect on the movie-goer.
They show men as normal beeings without heroic aura or Hollywood-swagger, not as men always beeing superior in every situation, immune to enemy bullets and hitting the foe at first shot, showing their desperation in a desperate situation,
not losing their humanity and trying to keep their soul sober in order not to lose themselves amidst the cruel realities.
[ "Ambush 1941": Winner of 7 categories of the Finnish Film Prize (Jussi-Awards) based on the novel "The Road to Rukajärvi"by
Antti Tuuri; director:Olli Saarela 1999 / "Beyond the Frontline" director:Ake Lindman based on the war diaries and photos of
Harry Lärv / "Battle for Finnland -Tali-Ihantala 1944" director: Ake Lindman - all films by pandastorm.com - see internet ]
Model building and history soon begann to go hand in gloves with me ; it is not my only interest, but a main interest indeed.
Studying books, building models, seeing movies is very rewarding and one may learn a lot on human condition.
The forum is very nice - here we are from all over the world with our hobby, questions and answers, helping hands and sometimes talking on the real events.
viele Grüße, Gunther
