329:question:329--week_11_questions_comments-2018
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| - | One thing that it was impossible to ignore after the lecture is the way that the movie ignores minority and woman veterans. It isn’t surprising in a movie from 1946, but the fact that the movie goes to such lengths to include within its core three characters representations of so many kinds of veterans (the old veteran, the young veteran, the disabled veteran, the veteran whose marriage falls apart, the veteran who has a job waiting for him, the veteran who doesn’t) makes the omission that much more noticeable. By leaving out these stories and telling the others in such a complete way, it is suggesting that those veterans don’t exist or are not worth discussing. (Justin Curtis) | + | One thing that it was impossible to ignore after the lecture is the way that **the movie ignores minority and woman veterans.** It isn’t surprising in a movie from 1946, but the fact that the movie goes to such lengths to include within its core three characters representations of so many kinds of veterans (the old veteran, the young veteran, the disabled veteran, the veteran whose marriage falls apart, the veteran who has a job waiting for him, the veteran who doesn’t) makes the omission that much more noticeable. By leaving out these stories and telling the others in such a complete way, it is suggesting that those veterans don’t exist or are not worth discussing. (Justin Curtis) |
| ====== Things the Movie got right ====== | ====== Things the Movie got right ====== | ||
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| Al Stephenson when making the unsecured loan to the former Navy SEABEE for a 40-acre farm, makes a reference to the 1944 Bretton Woods conference that created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to oversee global reconstruction and stabilize the exchange rates and financial flows after the Second World War. The discussion centers around the promises made by the Selective Service Act / GI Bill that guaranteed underwriting loans to returning servicemen. – Andrew Mullins | Al Stephenson when making the unsecured loan to the former Navy SEABEE for a 40-acre farm, makes a reference to the 1944 Bretton Woods conference that created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to oversee global reconstruction and stabilize the exchange rates and financial flows after the Second World War. The discussion centers around the promises made by the Selective Service Act / GI Bill that guaranteed underwriting loans to returning servicemen. – Andrew Mullins | ||
| - | One thing the movie got right was the feeling of these 15 million men returning to the job market. When Fred came back to the drug store, the other workers in the store were talking about how if he wanted his job, he would probably get it because of his service in the war and that “nobody’s jobs are safe with all of these servicemen.” This was a common worry of those who had taken the jobs the soldiers had left behind. Fred’s experience when looking for a job was difficult as well due to the saturated job market. When the manager talked to Fred he told him that since the business changed hands, he was not required to give Fred his old job back. Fred’s experience in the job market was overall a very real problem in the time of this film. -- Carolyn Stough | + | *One thing the movie got right was the feeling of these 15 million men returning to the job market.** When Fred came back to the drug store, the other workers in the store were talking about how if he wanted his job, he would probably get it because of his service in the war and that “nobody’s jobs are safe with all of these servicemen.” This was a common worry of those who had taken the jobs the soldiers had left behind. Fred’s experience when looking for a job was difficult as well due to the saturated job market. When the manager talked to Fred he told him that since the business changed hands, he was not required to give Fred his old job back. Fred’s experience in the job market was overall a very real problem in the time of this film. -- Carolyn Stough* |
| To add to what Carolyn said. I also thought it was a great depiction from the managers perspective. He admitted he wasn't required to give his job back. Fred said he didn't want it, he wanted a better one. The manager pointed out that just because you're a bomber doesn' | To add to what Carolyn said. I also thought it was a great depiction from the managers perspective. He admitted he wasn't required to give his job back. Fred said he didn't want it, he wanted a better one. The manager pointed out that just because you're a bomber doesn' | ||
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| The film did a great job showcasing how hard the reunions were from the veterans as well as how the adjustments went. The film also referenced a lot of pre war historical knowledge that would have been fresh in the minds of Americans during this time. References such as making money from bootlegging and general dislike towards bankers as well as quick marriages from before the war as soldiers were leaving to go off to war. The movie also showcased how quickly the war contracts were cancelled as many planes were left and some of them new in plane graveyards. --Jack Hagn | The film did a great job showcasing how hard the reunions were from the veterans as well as how the adjustments went. The film also referenced a lot of pre war historical knowledge that would have been fresh in the minds of Americans during this time. References such as making money from bootlegging and general dislike towards bankers as well as quick marriages from before the war as soldiers were leaving to go off to war. The movie also showcased how quickly the war contracts were cancelled as many planes were left and some of them new in plane graveyards. --Jack Hagn | ||
| - | As mentioned above by some, this movie really touched on the relationships between husbands and wives during this time. One scene in particular was between Fred and his wife Marie, who he catches with another man. Marie complains that she had given up the best years of her life, which could be during and even before Fred was shipped off to Europe. Even with Homer and his disability, he does not want to trouble his fiance with his burden, and opts to push her away even though she wants to marry him still despite him losing his hands. --Alyx Wilson | + | As mentioned above by some, **this movie really touched on the relationships between husbands and wives during this time.** One scene in particular was between Fred and his wife Marie, who he catches with another man. Marie complains that she had given up the best years of her life, which could be during and even before Fred was shipped off to Europe. Even with Homer and his disability, he does not want to trouble his fiance with his burden, and opts to push her away even though she wants to marry him still despite him losing his hands. --Alyx Wilson |
| - | The movie accurately reflects the struggle servicemen and women went through upon returning to society. Businesses, people, ideas, are among a few things they find are different than when they left. It also shows how civilians react towards the servicemen-it seems most aren’t able to comprehend what the soldiers went through and just want them to “shake it off” or to “just stop thinking about it”. These part brought out the feels I guess because we know more now how it takes time for servicemen to readjust than back then. -Johana Colchado | + | The movie accurately reflects the struggle servicemen and women went through upon returning to society. Businesses, people, ideas, are among a few things they find are different than when they left. **It also shows how civilians react towards the servicemen-it seems most aren’t able to comprehend what the soldiers went through and just want them to “shake it off” or to “just stop thinking about it”.** These part brought out the feels I guess because we know more now how it takes time for servicemen to readjust than back then. -Johana Colchado |
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| + | **In the film, Fred's citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross identifies him as a bombardier of the 8th Air Force. Earlier in the film, he shows his wife pictures of bombs over Dusseldorf. This is historically accurate--the 8th Army Air Force was active in the European Theater of World War II**, meaning that it is highly possible for them to have bombed Dusseldorf. Source: https:// | ||
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| + | This movie goes into the readjustment of soldiers back into civilian life and how this effected women. In class we talked about divorce rates being high which we can see a sample of in the movie. -Erin Andrewlevich | ||
| - | In the film, Fred's citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross identifies him as a bombardier of the 8th Air Force. Earlier in the film, he shows his wife pictures of bombs over Dusseldorf. This is historically accurate--the 8th Army Air Force was active in the European Theater of World War II, meaning that it is highly possible for them to have bombed Dusseldorf. Source: https:// | ||
| ====== Questions about interpretation ====== | ====== Questions about interpretation ====== | ||
| Out of the entire film, only one black woman, in the women' | Out of the entire film, only one black woman, in the women' | ||
| - | The movie did not try to over-romanticize the war or the efforts of the soldiers. The three soldiers in this film are regular people. Homer states that he did not see a lot of fighting because he worked below deck. And he did not get to meet General MacArthur just because he was an American soldier. Fred’s parents learn about how he won his medals, but he never brags or seeks praise. This movie took a much-needed, | + | **The movie did not try to over-romanticize the war or the efforts of the soldiers. The three soldiers in this film are regular people. Homer states that he did not see a lot of fighting because he worked below deck. And he did not get to meet General MacArthur just because he was an American soldier. Fred’s parents learn about how he won his medals, but he never brags or seeks praise.** This movie took a much-needed, |
| - | On the back of the box, this film claims that the soldier' | + | **On the back of the box, this film claims that the soldier' |
| - | The movie shows how the soldiers feel anxious when returning home and goes on to show their expectations vs the reality of homecoming. This is an interesting point that the movie looks into and developes throughout (the idea of expectation vs reality). It raised questions about how soldiers and their families handled the immense excitement and then adrenalin crash after they returned home. -- Grace Corkran | + | **The movie shows how the soldiers feel anxious when returning home and goes on to show their expectations vs the reality of homecoming. This is an interesting point that the movie looks into and developes throughout (the idea of expectation vs reality). It raised questions about how soldiers and their families handled the immense excitement and then adrenalin crash after they returned home.** -- Grace Corkran |
| - | From an artistic perspective, | + | From an artistic perspective, |
| - | I thought it was really interesting to learn that the actor who played Homer was an actual disabled war veteran who lost both of his hands in combat and that he had never acted before //The Best Years of Our Lives.// Without any acting experiance, the director really took a risky shot at hiring him to be one of the lead actors when he had no acting experiance or training at all. But the director William Wyler said "'' | + | I thought it was really interesting to learn that the actor who played Homer was an actual disabled war veteran who lost both of his hands in combat and that he had never acted before //The Best Years of Our Lives.// Without any acting experiance, the director really took a risky shot at hiring him to be one of the lead actors when he had no acting experiance or training at all. But the director William Wyler said "'' |
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| The film effectively captures the effects of the horrors of war on returning soldiers. We see three different soldiers deal with these emotions, (each have their own way of handling it) and try to assimilate back into society. They struggle with internal and external conflicts which affects their relationships with family and friends. It also explores realistic themes which the audience then and now can relate to. -Johana Colchado | The film effectively captures the effects of the horrors of war on returning soldiers. We see three different soldiers deal with these emotions, (each have their own way of handling it) and try to assimilate back into society. They struggle with internal and external conflicts which affects their relationships with family and friends. It also explores realistic themes which the audience then and now can relate to. -Johana Colchado | ||
| - | To go off of William' | + | To go off of William' |
| Going off of what Will said, the only people of color I saw in this film--the luggage porter in the airport in the first scene and the women' | Going off of what Will said, the only people of color I saw in this film--the luggage porter in the airport in the first scene and the women' | ||
| - | The movie did a good job in portraying the transition from being a soldier to working as a civilian. There were references to how businesses had to give veterans their old jobs, but also portrayed how businesses were interested in exploiting the fact that they were veterans, such as the bank did with Al. The movie also chose to have women be very dependent on the men of the film. While they were shown to be working before the men got back from the war, once the men returned, the women stopped working. Marie, in particular, is shown to be especially shallow, wanting to show off her soldier husband and go out to eat constantly. --Sky Horne | + | The movie did a good job in portraying the transition from being a soldier to working as a civilian. |
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| + | **The movie ended in a happily ever after all around, which seemed common to movies of that time period. I like the fact that it ended on the most part in an uplifting manner. It left those who watched it at the time, going through the same exact problems as returning veterans, hope, hope that their lives were going to be okay.** And random fact, I thought it was interesting that Homer missed a line when saying the vows, but Wyler actually left it in the movie. -Amiti Colson | ||
| ====== The movie as a primary source of its time ====== | ====== The movie as a primary source of its time ====== | ||
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| The movie definitely shows the way that society looked upon returning veterans, and handled it with a great amount of respect. The way that nearly everyone looks at the returning veterans as different people, while they simply wanted to return to their regular lives. With the influx of soldiers, this was something that people would have been worried about. Similarly, Fred’s struggle to find work due to the influx of veterans was a great representation of the time. The movie also represented the view that women should return to being submissive, as everyone woman in the movie who does this is much happier at the end. The one character who doesn’t, Marie, is more dominant in the relationship between her and Fred, and she is portrayed extremely negatively for this fact. --Sky Horne | The movie definitely shows the way that society looked upon returning veterans, and handled it with a great amount of respect. The way that nearly everyone looks at the returning veterans as different people, while they simply wanted to return to their regular lives. With the influx of soldiers, this was something that people would have been worried about. Similarly, Fred’s struggle to find work due to the influx of veterans was a great representation of the time. The movie also represented the view that women should return to being submissive, as everyone woman in the movie who does this is much happier at the end. The one character who doesn’t, Marie, is more dominant in the relationship between her and Fred, and she is portrayed extremely negatively for this fact. --Sky Horne | ||
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| + | The movie is a good primary source for the time in which it was made because it shows the economic and societal anxieties that soldiers returning to civilian life would have faced. Since the film was released only a year after the end of World War II, the trouble that the main characters have would have been relatable to a lot of Americans. The ending shows that even though the lives of these men have been forever changed, they are still able to make it in the post-war world, a message that would appeal to audiences who were struggling to regain a feeling of normalcy themselves. - Sam Hartz | ||
| ====== Comparing the reading to the movie ====== | ====== Comparing the reading to the movie ====== | ||
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| ====== The "So, what?" question ====== | ====== The "So, what?" question ====== | ||
| - | This film contradicts common understandings about the post-war period in the United States. It was not as idyllic as we often think. The GI Bill was a positive thing, but it did not fix all of the soldiers' | + | This film contradicts common understandings about the post-war period in the United States. It was not as idyllic as we often think. The GI Bill was a positive thing, but it did not fix all of the soldiers' |
| - | The scene toward the end with Homer and Wilma was the most powerful, where Homer admits how utterly helpless he is once his ' | + | The scene toward the end with Homer and Wilma was the most powerful, where Homer admits how utterly helpless he is once his ' |
| - | Unlike Gone with the Wind, this film does not seek to glorif war or the causes which led to the fighting. The film does not have any battle scenes and yet is able to show the horrors of war and the very serious affects that it had on all those involved. It shows that the America and the American people were not the same after the war. -- Grace Corkran | + | Unlike Gone with the Wind, **this film does not seek to glorif war or the causes which led to the fighting. The film does not have any battle scenes and yet is able to show the horrors of war and the very serious affects that it had on all those involved.** It shows that the America and the American people were not the same after the war. -- Grace Corkran |
| - | The movie is one of the most grounded in reality that we have seen. By relying on interesting characters instead of an interesting plot its better at telling the story the of WWII veterans coming home in a way that's relatable. Though the characters are not real, it seemed like real veterans like those characters probably did exist in 1946 and the movie did a good job of embodying them. -Kyle Moore | + | The movie is one of the most grounded in reality that we have seen. **By relying on interesting characters instead of an interesting plot its better at telling the story the of WWII veterans coming home in a way that's relatable.** Though the characters are not real, it seemed like real veterans like those characters probably did exist in 1946 and the movie did a good job of embodying them. -Kyle Moore |
| - | As we discussed in class, The Best Years of Our Lives did very well at the Oscars. I read that the movie was one of the top grossing films of the decade so I looked to see how well it did compared to other popular films in America. I looked at a site that adjusted the grossing value with inflation and found that the movie still made the top 100 films (#85) which is right under Rocky. And in the 40’s alone the movie was the 7th top grossing film It is incredible to me that William Whyler (the Director) and Samuel Goldwyn (the producer) were able to illustrate a moment in time that the audience was currently living through, and apparently get it right. It’s incredible to me because through all of the experiences of the war, the movie apparently was able to at least, for the most part, approach sensitive topics and present them accurately. Perhaps the main qualm is the semi-optimistic ending, but that is the feeling that the movie wanted the audience to leave with I assume. Despite all of the despair and chaos that war brought in battle and on the home front before and after 1945, their lives moved on. –Lake | + | As we discussed in class, The Best Years of Our Lives did very well at the Oscars. I read that the movie was one of the top grossing films of the decade so I looked to see how well it did compared to other popular films in America. I looked at a site that adjusted the grossing value with inflation and found that the movie still made the top 100 films (#85) which is right under Rocky. And in the 40’s alone the movie was the 7th top grossing film It is incredible to me that William Whyler (the Director) and Samuel Goldwyn (the producer) were able to illustrate a moment in time that the audience was currently living through, and apparently get it right. It’s incredible to me because through all of the experiences of the war, the movie apparently was able to at least, for the most part, approach sensitive topics and present them accurately. Perhaps the main qualm is the semi-optimistic ending, but that is the feeling that the movie wanted the audience to leave with I assume. |
| - | This movie shows the change in how we see veterans coming home from war, disabilities, | + | This movie shows the change in how we see veterans coming home from war, disabilities, |
| - | Harold Russell sold his second Oscar to pay his wife’s medical bills in 1992. He was only paid $10,000 for his role in the movie and did not receive and residual income afterwards. For someone who was so adored by audiences, following this movie, it seems like Russell was forgotten. He did continue to work in veterans affairs and advocate for their rights but the money he earned from that may not have been enough. Russell’s story is very symbolic of what happened to a lot of veterans after the WWII and other wars throughout the 20th century. While the government did do better than they had following past wars to attend to veteran’s needs, there were still many forgotten servicemen who struggled to make ends meet after paying such as heavy price. | + | Harold Russell sold his second Oscar to pay his wife’s medical bills in 1992. He was only paid $10,000 for his role in the movie and did not receive and residual income afterwards. For someone who was so adored by audiences, following this movie, it seems like Russell was forgotten. He did continue to work in veterans affairs and advocate for their rights but the money he earned from that may not have been enough. |
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| + | **This movie explores the difficult, traumatic adjustments like unemployment, | ||
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| + | Most depictions of war focus on the actual battles and the fighting. This movie shows some of the forgotten effects that war can have on people, even after all the fighting is over. **Americans had lived through World War II and now wanted a film that would depict what they were experiencing in the aftermath**. I think it’s also one of the most accurate movies we have watched so far. - Sam Hartz | ||
329/question/329--week_11_questions_comments-2018.1541657797.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/11/08 06:16 by 76.78.225.187