Today in the program we watched a film titled The Grand Illusion. In French of course but with the title translated into English. This film made me think of the difference officers and the enlisted men go through. In WWI, officers that were taken prisoner or to interment camps were treated in the highest regard and the film only shows that side of the war. The film may not be about the difference between an Officer and an enlisted man but it does bring to question what happened to the enlisted men. The enlisted men were treated with horrible conditions and were the workers of the labor camp. One of my main thoughts through the films was how could the directors only see the officer side, but then I remembered that it was just only a film.

I come from a line of both enlisted and officers. My grandfather was an officer in the Army during WWII and my brother is currently enlisted in the Army, currently serving his 10th year. I give every man and women that were and are currently in the military a huge credit but those on the front line will always stand out to me more than anyone else, and those are usually enlisted. The soliders that go first in a fight and are the first to die or get hurt are the ones that come first in my mind. They are also the ones that when caught by opposing army’s, are the ones to be killed and pulled for information. I believe that officers do fight but they fight in a way that his men always follow. Officers play out the fight and mentally and physically prepair his men for a fight and when the men go out they are ready. I just feel that the film should of shown this. Shown that the officers and the enlisted men work together and that they would not survive of it was not for each other.

I liked the film overall. It gave light onto what it was like for officers in WWI and how even the french can trick the Germans in so many ways. The film also showed how an officer gave his life so his fellow officers could escape and continue to live their lives. The film always the audience to see the sacrifices in the war, but only one point of sacrifice. That of the officers.