Heartbreaking (spoilers)

The scenes between Richard Harris and his boy were strangely affecting. The kid gives such an earnest performance, so innocent, and Harris is clearly a hard-as-nails soldier but lives for his son’s smile.

It was only moments into their first scene that I realised why they set up such an ideal relationship - they were going to kill off Harris. This was confirmed when Burton agrees to adopt Harris’ kid if he doesn’t make it out. Sure enough he dies, but it’s even worse - Burton has to mercy-kill him.

The heartbreak is complete when, months later, Burton walks off with the boy and they’ll ‘talk about your father’. I just felt so sorry for the kid, and it’s even worse that Burton not only persuaded Harris to come along in the first place - so he’s largely responsible for his death - but even pulled the trigger. It’s devastating!

That’s what makes this film special. Great acting and a surprising emotional wallop for a boy’s own military adventure, probably because it focused on the private lives of the soldiers before the battle, which is unusual.