A Beief Treatise on War and Humanity

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2018)

Wonderful film, however I wish it was longer. The themes could have been explored more deeply. Not merely a war flick, but a look at how war brings out the various aspects of our humanity. Idealism, patriotism, courage, justice, duty and also baseness, lust, dishonesty, greed, and vain ambition.
I love the scene at the end where Kirk Douglas is standing outside the tavern. As his men whoop and holler, lusting after the woman on stage, you can see Douglas losing his faith in humanity with every lecherous cheer. Then quietly at first, the woman starts to sing. The men slowly pause one by one, as the simple familiar song brings to them feelings of home, family, childhood, innocence, purity, as only the softness and warmth of a woman could evoke.
Then the camera returns to Douglas, and you can see as he hears the men hum along, that a glimmer of hope returns, and he knows there is still humanity in his men, there is still something in all of them worth living and fighting for. One of his men comes to him with news that they are to head back to the front the next day, and the colonel puts on his hat again and resumes his command and returns to his office. There is enough hope to fight another day.