MovieChat Forums > Kokoda Discussion > Horror Movie Influences *Spoilers*

Horror Movie Influences Spoilers

posted 18 years ago by GeorgieGirl-1
13 replies | jump to latest

I was wondering how others felt the integration of features more in common with horror movies worked within Kokoda? Personally I found them a little overpowering. The initial dream sequence confused me as it is generally a device used in movies to suggest that the calm ordered life of the dreamer is about to change. The dreamer was already in "hell" and I felt the first sequence to be redundant. I also thought that the film maker concentrated too much literally on the "horrors of war" theme and sought to show every conceivable act of brutality or gore in a short period of time. Rather than the "horror" being what the soldiers had to go through by the process of loss (family, freedom, friends), the "horror" was literally reduced to blood and guts. I felt this also contributed to the audience caring less for the individual characters as their deaths were more dehumanising. I felt the survival of the soldiers also seemed preordained following the horror movie genre (i.e. any coward will end up dying a hero's death). I would have preferred the loss to be less shocking to the eyes but more shocking to the soul.

[–] yellowdischarge 18 years ago

Well the Kokoda track was brutal. Both sides murdered POWs, etc so if you think about it there could've been a lot more blood and guts.

[–] solo-rs 18 years ago

I agree with georgiegilr, for those that have seen movies like Hotel Rwanda, next to no Gore is shown, but still the affect is just as shocking, as it is all truly formulated inside your mind as opposed to it being very blunt and obvious.

[–] yellowdischarge 18 years ago

When people get shot it tends to be bloody.

[–] jonschaper 18 years ago

You're missing the point. The movie isn't supposed to be about gunshot wounds, etc. The movie is supposed to be about the horrors of war. Some of the horrors of war are psychological. The separation from friends and family, losing your comrades, the constant tension of not knowing when the next attack will come, etc. If a war movie relies upon gore and nothing more, then it has failed to really convey the horrors of war.

You are looking for what I am.

[–] yellowdischarge 18 years ago

I guess you missed them being scared that they were cut off them and you concentrated on the blood too much. I would think it would be stupid for it not to show blood.

[–] alexquitzau 18 years ago

I agree with GeorgieGirl that a movie shouldn't rely on gore to reflect the horrors of war.
However I felt that the scene where 'Bluey' was tied to the tree was very effective at mixing blood with cinematic techniques to make a very intense and powerful scene. I reckon that his death was as shocking to the soul as it was to the eyes and was what was for me the most shocking scenes. That scene left me with strong feelings of disgust, hatred and frustration.
I know that Aus soldiers executed Japanese POWs as well but I've never heard of and would have trouble contemplating Australian soldiers using a POW for such a foul purpose. I hope to god that we didn't, but after seeing your mates having that done to them, you could understand the hatred that so many diggers had for the 'Jap' soldiers.
I think that if the other deaths had been that intense I think the movie might have been too overwhelming for many who saw it, since it was only rated M here in Australia. So maybe it was done on purpose to allow a broader audience to be exposed to the track.

[–] yellowdischarge 18 years ago

Yes, Australian soldiers did execute Japanese POWs taken along The Track. It was in fact an unofficial policy to do so as the Higher Ups knew about it and did nothing to stop it.

However, I have never heard of an Australian soldier or soldiers using Japanese prisonders for bayonet practice or any number of the horrible things the Japanese did. Mostly it was just shoot them and move on.

[–] Twobie 18 years ago

Were there ever actually any reports of Japenese Soldiers using Australian troops as bayonet practice or was it made up for the film? Because I have heard of beheadings taking place but never any gutting.

Speaking of which I don't recall ever hearing of any Japanese POW camps run by the Australian Army. Did the americans control them? Or was it that the Japanese troops would rather die then surrender in combat?

Explore. Dream. Discover.

[–] alexquitzau 18 years ago

I dont know for certain if the Japanese used Australian soldiers for bayonet practice, but I know that they had definately done that previously throughout their advance through Asia.
The atrocities and attitudes of the Japanese are clearly visible in an event known as the Rape of Nanjing (Or Nanking).
The following are a few links that provide some insight to the events at Nanjing.

http://www.cnd.org/njmassacre/njm-tran/
http://wakingbear.com/japan3.htm
http://www.users.bigpond.com/battleforaustralia/WarCrimeIntro.html
http://www.gendercide.org/case_nanking.html

Some of the photos of bayonet practice were shown in Japan during the war as propaganda. However, those propaganda photos stated that the targets were dummies.

The real relevance of this event towards the discussion on Kokoda comes from the fact that the rape of Nanjing occured before Kokoda. The Japanese encountered little resistence on their conquest through asia. As such, soldiers involved in attrocities in China would be very likely to have found their way down to New Guinea, and our film.

[–] yellowdischarge 18 years ago

The largest prison outbreak in history took place at Cowra in Australia when hundreds of Japanese POWs broke out.

[–] alexquitzau 18 years ago

Yea, 1000 POW's charged the fences of the camp. They used their bodies to make a bridge over the barbed wire and to block the guards gunfire.
305 got out but all of them were recaptured within a week.

Wasn't there another escape but in a more remote region, where most who escaped died before they could get back to the camp?

[–] Twobie 18 years ago

"They used their bodies to make a bridge over the barbed wire and to block the guards gunfire."

Man they sure knew how to deprogram their troops and turn them into fearless killing machines.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

[–] alexquitzau 18 years ago

If you look at it from the diggers point of view, the Japanese would have been a terrible risk to keep as prisoners. If you look at the conditions they were in, and think about how the Chocco's were running out of food and supplies for themselves, then you can kind've understand how it would have been virtually incapacitating for a small squad to take a prisoner.
Remember Breaker Morant and the Boer War.