"You still think it's beautiful to die for your country."

I've never been one for war movies. Watching the usual shooting-at-the-enemy-for-two-hours, dashing-acts-of-bravery, big-patriotic-speech-as-the-music-swells thing doesn't appeal to me. But there are certain famous movies I feel I ought to watch even if I don't think I'll enjoy them.

So...

You know, All Quiet on the Western Front was absolutely not at all what I expected.

Here you've got a war movie, an American war movie from 1930 and all the characters are German and... it's just one of the most human and universal movies I've seen. I wasn't merely crying at the end, I was whimpering into a pillow. Not to mention how the movie doesn't feel dated at all - it's surprisingly modern in its delivery, with the episodic story.

And it... It feels so important somehow. Exposing patriotism and idealism and us-versus-them and war, how decidedly unglamourous and meaningless it all really is. I can't believe this was made between two world wars.

I honestly think it should be shown in schools everywhere.

(This is me learning not to assume things about movies.)

More war imagery

I also watched Pink Floyd: The Wall, which was more or less exactly how I'd expected: Uneven student film with some good music and absolutely astounding animation.

Gerald Scarfe does some completely amazing stuff!

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