Historical reconstruction of the war. Anyone who has seen the eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a new war.
Otto von Bismarck
In 1934, in his preface to The History of World War II, British historian Basil Liddell Garth speculated on the changing attitudes toward war over time. “Twenty years after the war began, a generation has grown up with no personal memory of it. War has become history.
It is the feeling of respectful historical reconstruction when viewing the film "Stosstrupp 1917", set in 1934. Twenty years after the outbreak of the World War. Still the only one. (The National Socialists have only been in power for a year and have not yet started a new world war; they need another five years.) )
According to Internet sources, the film “Stosstrupp 1917” exists in two versions: full and edited (half an hour of pro-Nazi propaganda episodes were removed). This review is an edited version.
Almost all Internet amateur historians note the detailed accuracy of the recreation of military life and hostilities in this film, calling “Stosstrupp 1917” one of the best films about the First World War.
In the creation of the film, obviously, veterans of hostilities took part, which gave the Assault Battalion 1917 such truthfulness in the actions of the heroes and accuracy in the depiction of details. Up to the fact that according to the assurances of the same Internet historians, amateurs, shots from this staged film are used in some documentaries as chronicles. And, indeed, those who saw photos of the First World War may have a feeling of "effect of animated photos."
"Stosstrupp 1917" does not contain those anti-war intonations that appeared with particular force in military cinema in the second half of the last century (after the Second World War). But his edited version does not celebrate the war and does not turn it into an “adventure shooter”, which has become the main direction of military cinema.
The main theme of the film is a very kind human intonation to the soldier. In this case, German. And judging by this film, a soldier is a “war worker,” a “war worker.” For whom a deadly battle is sometimes more desirable than a long wait in destructive trenches, where lice, dirty water, diseases, stray bullets, shrapnel shells and thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts... A painful and senseless wait for the end of all this.
The ending of the film is quite symbolic. On the bright feast of the Nativity of Christ, the feast of the birth of life, soldiers die. A good European family holiday, glorifying life in the space of war, where death reigns, everyday and daily collecting their bloody harvest.
My opinion is good.
7 out of 10