Film Analysis

The film is a cinematic representation of chaos and trauma. The film illustrates chaos because of the chaotic illustration of the shots that are expressed in a non-linear interplacement of reality, vision, and memory. Besides, the film describes trauma encountered by the two boys who are intertwined between the reality of getting detained at the concentration camp and their visions of  escape. The film illustrates adolescent boys escaping from a moving train, wearing black overcoats having the letters “KL” imprinted behind them, with gunfire and shouts heard in the background, illustrating a reality and a relatable escape. Besides, their capture by the two old Germans after the older boy is injured and unable to jump onto a passing truck illustrates reality. However, the camera shots are non-linear, in that the reality of the boys’ escape through the swamps, forests, and rocky landscape is interpolated with portrayals of the visions, dreams, and flashbacks of the younger boy. For instance, the younger boy exhibits a flashback when he remembers exchanging his shoes for a portion of food with the older boy. Besides, in a non-linear and out-of-sequence sets of visions and hallucinations, the younger boy fantasizes travelling home via tram and train, laughing while passing through a graveyard, passing two Nazi soldiers unnoticed, encountering a girl, and constantly ringing the apartment doorbell, all while clad in the long prisoners’ overcoat. Additionally, the younger boy imagines himself accompanying the older boy strolling in the streets of an abandoned city while wearing new shoes. One reason behind the younger boy’s non-linear flips between reality, vision and memory is because of his trauma and fear. I feel that the young boy demonstrates his optimism of escaping captivity by imagining and recalling images freedom and normal life, as well as pessimism of perishing by imagining being murdered. For instance, he struggles with visions of rape and murder when he follows the woman farmer’s wife for food, but quickly comes back to reality after picking the slices of bread, after which he leaves.

Hello Classmate

I applaud your accurate depiction of a reality evident where the two boys run through the woods and the camera shots are shaky. In particular, I believe that shaky shots illustrates real time movements. Besides, I concur with your emphasis that story is non-linear, and its chaotic representation is facilitated by a blend of visions, memories, and reality experienced by the two boys. I also concur with your analysis that the constant shift from reality to vision and flashback experienced by the younger boy emanates from his mental frustrations and fear of getting incarcerated at the concentration camps. Moreover, I feel that the memory of the two boys exchanging the shoes with food illustrates the suffering they undergo as a result of the outbreak of war. Moreover, I agree that the younger boy’s imaginations are non-linear, since when the reality depicts him as escaping the captivity and free, he imagines himself back and forth as being detained, murdered, or in danger, accompanied by traumatic flashbacks. I also agree that the film’s alternations between shots entailing vision, memory, and reality are meant to reflect the pain, fear, and trauma experienced by the two boys.