Better on a second viewing

I saw Straight Into Darkness a few days ago, and I wasn't particularly either impressed or unimpressed. I thought it was nicely shot and that the overall execution was reasonably good for a film that was obviously made on a shoestring budget, but that was about it. Something about it stayed with me, though, and despite myself I found myself watching it again just yesterday. I realised it had unsettled me more than I'd thought - particularly the more memorable of the children, Anna, the girl in the mask, and Nelu, the little boy with no legs. It made me think about the war and the children caught up in it whose lives, one way or another, were altered forever, and I suppose that's the mark of a truly important film. While I don't think Straight Into Darkness is on a par with Cross of Iron or All Quiet On the Western Front, it's successful in that it made me, at any rate, think about an aspect of the subject matter (ie. children in war) I'd not really thought about before. For that reason I'll certainly be recommending this film to friends and family, and I'd recommend it to any of you who are interested.