Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
World War II
Chronology
1941 is a movie based on the happenings of World War II. This comedy describes the era of the Great Los Angeles Air Raid that took place in 1942(Ellis, 56). It creates a picture of the situation in California soon after the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor (Ellis, 66). During this period, the inhabitants of this area were ready to defend their country against future Japanese attack though they feared for their lives. This background information during the start of the film aids the audience to understand it better. The producer uses various aspects of this raid to develop the film’s plot. Moreover, he incorporates fiction in the events of the Japanese attack on California to make the movie more interesting.
Themes
The producer incorporates various concepts and events in the plot of this film. Firstly, he describes the theme of immorality present during the World War II (Thompson, 112). According to the movie, both the military personnel and the residents of this state engage in reckless sexual activities with young girls. Additionally, most women get excited about having an affair with men from the armed forces hence compromising their moral values. Consequently, many of these women get pregnant. In addition, the weakening of the moral fabric leads to break-ups in several families in the area. The filmmaker emphasizes this theme by use of a girl who gets pregnant at a very tender age (Thompson, 111). The father of the unborn baby, who is a member of the military, does not take responsibility of his actions forcing the girl to forward the task of raising the newborn to her financially handicapped parents.
Loyalty is also a major theme described in this film. Both the locals and army are devoted to their groups and rules. This is evident in the civilians’ dedication to protect their country from the Japanese attack. Though they lack sophisticated weapons as well as proper training required for the battle, they are ready to defend their country to the latter. On the other hand, the Japanese military intend to attack and capture the Pearl Harbor. They plan to hit this area for a long time and are well prepared with modern weapons and personnel. Their dedication to this affair shows loyalty, which is illustrated throughout the film (Ellis, 78).
Rage is also a recurring theme in this movie. The producer demonstrates anger that has depressed humanity. Throughout the movie, he describes events that show the people’s thirst for revenge. He uses the residents of California to discuss this theme. These inhabitants are ready to do anything to defend their country. They are angered by the Japanese bombing on the Pearl Harbor and prepare to revenge on them (Thompson, 118). The producer illustrates this theme by incorporating death and destruction. The humanity aspect is depressed by the civilian’s rage and they end up killing a large number of their attackers. Likewise, the Japanese are angered by this act and decide to revenge by killing the inhabitants. Moreover, they destroy their property by burning the area.
The producer also incorporates the theme of insensitivity in his film. Both the civilians and army exhibit this coldness act. To start with, both parties show their inconsiderate character by engaging in reckless sexual behaviors with underage girls. Though they know that such acts are morally wrong, it does not hinder them from having sex with these minors. In the film, the producer emphasizes this theme by featuring a girl who gets pregnant after having an affair with one of the members in the armed forces. This military officer shows insensitivity when he refuses to take responsibility of his actions, leaving the girl to take care of the newborn singlehandedly.
Additionally, the residents of California as well as the armed forces show no concern for other human beings. Instead of illustrating humanity, they live in conditions where one is not responsible for his neighbors. People in this community do not care for each other and everyone lives by themselves. Moreover, the film contains insensitivity of the people through the killings. Both the natives of this area as well as the armed forces conduct killings and severe destruction without any consideration. They let their anger dictate their actions at the expense of their conscience and humanity.
One other major theme in this award-winning film is war. This movie revolves around the era of World War II and as such integrates events and concepts of the battle throughout the movie (Thompson, 120). In the beginning, the movie creates an image of the proceedings of the Japanese attack on the Pearl Harbor. The bombing of this harbor in the movie is evidence of the war theme integrated into it by the producer. Moreover, the movie continues its description of this theme by use of the civilians who are ready to fight the Japanese in order to protect their country. Upon killing their members, the armed forces revenge on the civilians hence causing a heated battle.
Death is also a common theme on 1941.In this film, a large number of both the civilians and the armed forces lose their lives during the intense battle. The involved parties let themselves get overtaken by anger and hatred and this leads to a large number of deaths. With the movie based on the famous World War II, it illustrates this theme all through. All the involved parties are responsible for the deaths that occur during the battle. To start with, the armed forces kill the civilians in an effort to capture their land. On the other hand, the civilians murder the police officers in an attempt to defend their land from the Japanese. This inhuman acts cause the deaths of many people as illustrated in the movie.
Techniques
The producer of this renowned film uses various styles to convey the intended message capture in several themes. To start with, he uses humor regularly in this movie. The script of this movie incorporates humor in it in order to make the movie more interesting. Since the movie is about ancient events, a touch of comedy to it captures the attention of the audience. As such, people of all ages and lifestyles can comfortably view the film without getting bored. In addition, use of this technique makes the movie less serious and easy to relate to.
Use of symbolism is also an appropriate technique in the movie. The script writer of this famous film uses this style to convey important messages in a manner that his audience can relate to with ease. Firstly, he uses the young girls to represent the naïve nature of the native Americans in the ancient period. In the movie, the underage girls fall into the armed forces’ trap and engage in sexual affairs with them( Stam, 21). Not knowing the outcome of their actions, they accept the offers of these officers and go to bed with them. The producer portrays people who are yet to become of age in terms of development by use of these youngsters.
Moreover, he uses symbolism to show the misuse of power present during the World War II period. In the movie, the armed forces take advantage of the young girls in the community and take them to bed hence impregnating most of them. Instead of protecting them as their duties dictate, they are the first people to destroy their future. Moreover, the officers do not take responsibility for their immoral actions. Instead, they abandon the pregnant young girls and live on as though nothing happened. These events in the movie illustrate the misuse of authority by those in powerful positions. Instead of using their positions to improve the society, they only mind themselves hence making the society a place full of insensitivity and inhumanity.
Intellectual and emotional appeals
In a strategic manner, the producer of the popular film integrates various emotions in an effort to capture the audience’s attention as well as make the movie more appealing. Moreover, the use of these emotions in the film helps the audience relate with it. For example, he uses evil to illustrate the theme of death as well as that of inhumanity. This emotional appeal is evident in the sexual immorality portrayed in the movie. The men show insensitivity when they engage in affairs with young girls. Moreover, the killings and destruction illustrated throughout the film supports evil as an emotional appeal. This emotional appeal makes the audience angered by the lusty men as well as feels sorry for the victims.
The producer also uses humanity as an emotional appeal to convey certain messages. In the movie, the people are filled with rage and lack humanity in them. They aimlessly kill their peers with the excuse of defending themselves from the enemy. Both the civilians as well as the armed forces are involved constantly in these inhuman acts (Stam, 23). The use of this emotional appeal angers the audience. As such, the producer achieves his objective of campaigning for humanity.
Lessons learnt
The producer uses various themes and techniques to convey various messages in his film. For example, from the film, the need to care for our neighbors is evident. From the movie, it is clear that compromising of humanity leads to destruction of the society (Stam, 22). Moreover, the importance of morality in the society is illustrated in the movie. Lack of morality in the society has various adverse effects as addressed in the movie.
Work cited
Ellis, Jack C, and Betsy A. McLane. A New History of Documentary Film. New York: Continuum, 2005. Print
Stam, Robert. François Truffaut and Friends: Modernism, Sexuality, and Film Adaptation. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 2006. Print.
Thompson, George R. The Signal Corps: The Test (december 1941 to July 1943). Washington: Center of Military History,United States Army, 2003. Print.