since its a popular song id guess the men where remembering their lives back home and all the emotions of that began flood their minds with fond memories(which made a few of them cry). Also i heard the woman singing is Kubrick's wife.
shareI believe that as the French soldiers all join the German woman in song, everyone realizes their common humanity--despite differing nationalities, despite the war, and despite the officers, the politicians, and the propaganda.
shareThat there is a thin line between humanity and our "baser" animal instincts (murder/Rape). I like most of the answers.
That there is compassion buried within our dehumanization.
And it utilized the German/French analogy to explain that.
Futility of War? But there are other good ones here already said
shareit stood for there still being hope for humanity. since everyone knew the song, it showed that germany and france used to be on good terms before the war since they knew it even though they were french, maybe their moms sang it to them, etc.
shareI interpreted it as one individual being on show or trial can have a lasting emotional impact on a person.
It fits with the rest of the movie because the Kirk Douglas character undergoes that change after seeing those men being made an example of before everyone else.
Read my review of Her here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/reviews-42
The most remarkable scene of a most remarkable film, in my opinion the best film ever shot, at least Kubrick's best and yet only his second movie.
The last scene sums up the stupidity of a war between the two neighbouring countries, France and Germany. The girl on the stage is singing a German folk song while the French soldiers are behaving like wild animals, lusting for the frele, young and attractive captured German girl.
Her voice could hardly be heard over the shouts and boos from the soldiers rendered primitive by an inhumane war that forced them, ultimate abuse by the high authorities, to watch the injust execution of 3 comrades in arms, to set an example,
After a short moment they start hearing a few notes from a tune that sounds somewhat familiar to their ears. Ultimately they recognise a song from their own folkloric background, a song called Marjolaine in it's French incarnation; the girl is singing the German version of that song.
They are moved to tears and as the animal roar is gradually brought to silence, their voices huming the melody can be heard while tears are flowing down their eyes. They are now totally pacified as they realise that the girl on the stage, the one they wanted to rape and tear apart a few moments before, is no different from a sister or school mate.
These two countries that fought so many terrible wars, are brothers sharing very similar cultural background.
Kubrick´s powerful antiwar message.
PS: After the film was finished, her married the girl who became Mrs Kubrick.
It can be taken many ways, of course, but most simply, and probably correctly:
These men who had been turned into cold, heartless beasts by the horrors of war, hardened almost beyond recognition, were brought back to their humanity by the calm, pure voice & emotion of a young innocent girl.
She reminded them of their wives, daughters, and mothers.... and of what they themselves used to be.
it is similar to the opera music in shawshank, it show the humanity of the men even after their brutal experiences.
share[deleted]