Every ten or twenty years the Australian film and television companies make yet another movie about World War One. The Australian soldier is always depicted as a brave and resourceful warrior who fights for democracy and freedom against overwhelming odds and never, ever, fails. Here is a snippet from the 2015 effort:
My treatment of the standard war story would be a little bit different. In my version we would concentrate on a platoon of soldiers (about 14 men) and follow them as they leave Australia and head towards the Western Front.
During the boat trip to Europe we would learn the back-story for each of the platoon members as they lounge on the deck and talk about what they have left behind in Australia.
After landing in Europe, they would travel by train towards the front line. Then they would transfer to trucks that would get them about ten miles from the front line and after that they would march the rest of the way on foot.
But there would be no heroes in my story. No victories. No brave deeds. No happy endings.
At each point along the way the platoon would be under constant attack: The train would be bombed from the air; the truck would be hit by enemy artillery fire, and during the march up to the front line, stray bullets and shrapnel would kill many of those who had survived thus far.
Eventually just one man would reach his position in the front line trenches.
There would be smiles and hand shakes all around as the old hands greet the new arrival, and then: that last survivor of the platoon would say, "Well let's have a look at this enemy of ours." And as he peeps over the parapet a sniper's bullet hits him right between the eyes!
The platoon is gone with not a single shot fired in anger.
They might as well have stayed at home.
[That would be my comment about the futility of war]
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