This movie ends with the statement "more than 300,000 children are recruited into armies in more than 40 countries".
I believe that statement can summarize my anger when watching this movie. A true story about a child in El Salvador during the civil war that occurred in that country in the 1980s. The movie illustrates the children's suffering and pain in war stricken areas. Even though this movie is about one particular war, I believe a child's innocence is global and I can easily imagine children in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and I am terrified of actually finding out where else this could be happening today.
The movie, a true story narrated by Chava, follows the life of an 11 year old boy during the civil war. The vivid illustration of boys getting recruited into the army at the age of 12, the nightly shootings through the village between the army and the guerrillas contrasted with the innocence of children playing and trying to go to school. For me there was nothing as painful as seeing the army go into the school and have the principal read out names of boys to take them away into the army. Or when the child hears the bullets going through the house and kill their little next door neighbor, a pretty little girl who was best friends with his sister. The innocence of young love and discovering that the little girl he is crushing has been killed in her own house by a bomb or grenade. No child should have to suffer like this.
The movie also shows how the women who were left alone in the villages after their husbands, brothers and fathers either were "drafted" into the army, joined the guerrilla forces or fled the country. These women had to provide for their children and protect them from a type of violence and loss that no mother would want their children to grow up in.
This movie is very well made and shows the war from the point of view of a child. Throughout the entire movie all I feel is anger of seeing children's innocence killed. In a situation such as the one portrayed in this movie you don't care who is right or wrong, whose at fault for the war, all you see is the pain of the most innocent victims.
That is a very sad and brutally honest movie. I had a few cousins who were taken into the army in El Salvador much like the kids in the movie. It is sad that things like that happen so easily and so often in other countries. Good review, I can feel the emotions behind it.
ReplyDeleteHey! This is a very miserable movie! I can not believe how they take little children into the army and leave women alone in the villages. This happens often everywhere, where there is a war. In the picture above, you can see it that is a very sad movie. I cannot consider how they decided to kill little boys like that. I will try to find this movie and watch it. You did really nice job.
ReplyDeleteOne of the similar movie is probably the "Blood Diamond". These movies are all eye opener to everyone in the world that how war is a such a cruel and tragic event. I heard that one of the reasons the war lords promote children to fight their war is because they are a human shield. Correct me if i am wrong.
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ReplyDeleteProf DiFabio, I don't know about the video store, although I suppose they may have it in the international films section. But if you belong to NetFlix you can watch it instantly on your computer, for free.
ReplyDelete(Keep a box of tissues at hand)