The Messages Directors Conveys to the Audience in the Two Films
Various aspects can be analyzed to show what the two movies are about and the message being conveyed to the audience. The directors of these two films decided to change the focus from the war to the effects of conflicts on specific individuals in the movie. They both show how battles impacted the dreams of the characters. For instance, in Ivan’s Childhood, Ivan’s mother is killed in the war, leaving him alone without parental care. Similarly, in The Cranes Are Flying, Boris, Veronika’s husband, is killed in the war, leading to her depressing life. Consequently, these cases show that directors in the two films educate the audience about how disputes affect people in the community.
Another aspect of the two movies is the symbolism of the environment after a war. In these movies, viewers can see a dark background, destroyed houses, and broken trees after the conflicts. For instance, when Boris is shot and killed in the war, a black background with white trees is seen (Kalatozov 01:20:26-01:20:40). Therefore, the directors have used the movies to show that the destruction of the environment is primarily experienced during battles and can influence the survivors’ lives.
The emotional aspect is also presented in both films when the characters lose their loved ones. Moreover, the audience can see how some characters become hopeless due to the deaths of other people. For instance, Veronika is affected by her husband’s death, forcing her to be suicidal. Ivan volunteers to go on risky missions to avenge his mother’s loss (Tarkovsky 00:40:19-00:40:55). Another issue revealed in both movies is how people suffer after losing essential people in their lives during wars. For instance, Ivan face challenges after being captured by the Nazis. Equally, Veronika experiences hardships after Boris is murdered, whereby Mark rapes her. Thus, these movies are about the dangers of conflicts in the community. Various topics such as destruction of the environment, death of loved ones, and the survivors’ suffering educate the audience about the negative effects of disputes.
Works Cited
Kalatozov, Mikhail, director. The Cranes Are Flying. Mosfilm, 1957
Tarkovsky, Andrei, director. Ivan’s Childhood. Mosflm, 1962