12/Schema Builder #1 - Julie : Watching an Award Winning Movie - 1917

Many of my fellow classmates have grandparents and great-grandparents who were involved in World War II (WW2) in some way or form. I, myself, have only heard stories of how my great-grandparents on my mother’s side survived the evils of the Nazi Party and the beginning of the Iron Curtain. I am also lucky enough to be able to listen to my mother’s stories of how the Iron Curtain affected her childhood. Being able to listen to all these stories about life in Poland sparked my interest in its history especially during times of great conflict.

My belief is that the only way to truly figure out how a historical event affected society you have to hear it from someone directly involved. Though due to the passing years, it is getting harder and harder to listen to first-hand accounts of survivors of World War I (WW1) and WW2. With this, a spike in books and movies about soldiers and survivors of both wars have been becoming more popular to spread the story of true history and not only that of what is given in textbooks. 

Recently, a movie came out called 1917. This is a story handed down through the generations of one family until one day it was made into a movie to be shared with all the world. It is a WW1 movie which highlights the struggles of two men trying to save 1600 men in an eight hour period. It shows the true struggle of the journey to cross enemy territory and save their fellow soldiers, instead of reading in a textbook that two men stopped a slaughter of fellow soldiers. The movie allows for people to feel and see the pain and anxiety of the two soldiers whereas in a textbook you would never get to.

Being able to watch 1917 was an amazing experience in general. Both the story, directing, and acting were phenomenal. When I first saw the trailer for 1917, I was beyond ecstatic and knew that I wanted to watch this movie. While watching, I was engaged with the story and hanging on the edge of the seat the entire time. I was happy that this story was able to be shared with the world because if you think about it there are so many extraordinary stories that the world will never truly know about. Also, the movie was heart-wrenching to a point I have never felt while watching any type of historical war movie. It truly portrayed the actions and emotions that had to happen to fulfill the mission these two men were sent on.

I wish that when looking at history people looked for the smaller stories that helped the overall event to pass. There is so much that needs to happen for a major event to pass and usually there is an interesting story behind each and every small step taken. It is also important to note that all small actions lead to something greater and more historically noticeable in the future. Telling stories of our past will only help and strengthen those who are creating our futures.