what a strange movie
does this movie have some kind of deep meaning to it? it surely isnt a war movie, its more philosophical..
perhaps i have to see it more than once to understand it...
YES, I think I get it now...okay:
This is about SYMBOLISM. The woman represents INSPIRATION. The castle is the physical representation of ART. The commander has ONE EYE because he is the life force, and, like a human males anatomy which also has one 'eye', he is also, by default, the one who sleeps w/ her. The baker is the bodily need; the failed priest/leutenant, is FAITH. still alive, but sarcastic and pessimistic....the kooky soldier that loves the Volkswagon believes in the physical; the captain is an art lover, he cannot understand that ART being destroyed is alright because the inspiration, represented by a woman that he can never have, survives, along with the SOUL, represented by the black soldier, this is why they are the only thing to 'survive' life. The war is simply the destructive force that eternally destroys. the old count is old europe, decaying and decadent...the name of the castle is 'MAL'DORE', that means 'EVIL GOLD', that is, falsity of life. The only eternal things that survives in the end is the SOUL (to 'record' the event as the 'author')and the INSPIRATION that can create art no matter HOW many times it is destroyed...! That's why he begins to repeat it at the end, because it is a CYCLE.
The characters are symbols, look at many books and movies like that and it will become clear, I even understand the bible now because of a better grasp of symbolism- not that I am religious, even movies/books like 'wizard of OZ' are purposely full of symbols.
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yeah, thanks, I should have added it's a pretty damn good humanistic war movie; the final battle after the rose garden invasion is stunning visually and morally...the idea of the 3 soldiers SOULS speaking to one another, "they climbed the high ramparts and could see all the way home...".
And Becman..!!!
There he is dying, and when asked how he's doing-
,"Keeping busy, sir...."
Good examination of character, and let's face it, that is what a good 'war' movie is!
hmm
interesting theory. absolutely. i will watch it again now
Interesting indeed. You raise some refreshingly good points that are nicely thought out.
"Did you get that thing I sent you?"
I just watched it for the first time last night. Don't know how I managed to miss it in the Seventies. But maybe I wouldn't have understood it then, whereas now I can see that "Andrsbckly" is correct. It is metaphorical - it is satirical, it is symbolic, and it is clever..tragic and funny -- the scene of the 2 soldiers trying to destroy the VW is hilarious, but also meaningful. The car is a German creation and the way it 'survives' predicts that the Germans are going to be hard to stop, and that the men will lose their "defence of the Castle". The Captain is well aware of this throughout the film. The conversation between the soldier musicians, and the death of the German, whom we never see, represents the utter senselessness and waste, of war. You could spend time, make a list of each characterand what they represent... even down to the eye patch that Burt Lancaster wears... revealing his utter commitment to the task, not allowing himself to "see" the point of view of Beckman, the Art Historian. Interesting that Beckman has a German name, although he's an American. So many things within this film, to ponder. The old world is dying, and the child that the Duke's wife carries holds the link to the future - a whole new Europe.
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