Film: Of Blood and a Poet

Of Blood and a Poet

MODERN war movies, like Tolstoy’s happy families, are all alike. Old wars are another story: Salamis, Thermopylae, Cannae, Lepanto—those battles were different. But from World War I on, a certain sameness sets in. We are introduced all too briefly to far too many characters who remain interchangeable, especially so in helmets and battle gear. Shouted commands are often unintelligible, strategies and tactics hard to follow. Lately, men have begun dying more graphically, more gorily. And sometimes we see women at war. Still, though it was not coined for cinematic warfare, the old saw applies: plus ça change . . .

JS

About the Author

John Simon

Of Blood and a Poet

MODERN war movies, like Tolstoy’s happy families, are all alike. Old wars are another story: Salamis, Thermopylae, Cannae, Lepanto—those battles were different. But from World War I on, a certain sameness sets in. We are introduced all too briefly to far too many characters who remain interchangeable, especially so in helmets and battle gear. Shouted commands are often unintelligible, strategies and tactics hard to follow. Lately, men have begun dying more graphically, more gorily. And sometimes we see women at war. Still, though it was not coined for cinematic warfare, the old saw applies: plus ça change . . .