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War movie themes have changed drastically.


In the post-war era up to the early 1980s, WW2 movies generally had exciting, martial themes that sounded like military marches. In the 1990s to the present, WW2 movies have churchy, reverential downbeat dirges for themes.

How odd that the generation that actually fought WW2 would choose exciting upbeat music for war movies, while modern generations with no firsthand experience of WW2 choose downbeat and mournful music.

Is it because moviemakers of today are more enlightened and realize the horrors of war far more completely than the generation of moviemakers who actually lived through WW2?

Old style exciting WW2 movie themes

Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgGp3kH2M84&list=OLAK5uy_kEoXaTWmDlE3GrKcOAKMP3DjgBd5jds8M&index=2

The Great Escape (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8

The Bridge at Remagen (1969)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMk5J4S7qu0

Patton (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg6MqWYyts0

The Big Red One (1980)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyRv7UOHZes

Modern downbeat WW2 movie themes

Saving Private Ryan (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ejg-lPcFxU

Band of Brothers (2001)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uTAIpU0sa0&t=16s

The Pacific (2010)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P47yvI7SWM

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT9zG0g4HdA

Dunkirk (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dfQHcMeXVg

Midway (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dilkY6WuQtU&list=PLohYzz4btpaQImLlitsENFslKvtwaQY5i&index=2

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IM CURRENTLY READING JOHN WAYNE'S BIOGRAPHY...HIS GENERATION THE ONES WHO LIVED THROUGH THE WAR WERE PATRIOTS.WAR WAS HELL BUT IS WAS ALSO FULLY SUPPORTED...THE FILMS MADE BEFORE,DURING AND DIRECTLY AFTER ARE ESPECIALLY UPBEAT AND THRILLING AS THEY WERE PART PROPAGANDA TO INSPIRE THE COUNTRY TO PULL TOGETHER...THE FILMS AFTER THE WAR WERE MADE BY GUYS WHO FOUGHT OR GUYS WHO IDOLIZED THOSE WHO DID...THESE DAYS THE WAR IS MOSTLY LOOKED AT AS A SAD PART OF HISTORY.

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Interesting post, well done. A keen observation that I was unaware of.

To add to Kowalski's fine reply,

I don't know if people are more enlightened about war today. WWII was considered a "Righteous war" filmmakers of that era took pride in defeating Nazi and Togo Japanese governments aggressions. Pride in goals achieved, pride in country, pride in the men who fought heroically and died. They wanted to honor them with upbeat soundtracks and to showcase their nations fighting spirit.

Most of the movie makers of this era have died now also, and so has much of the pride of victory. The enormity of the death and destruction remain for all to contemplate.

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Very good points made by both you guys. My statement about people of today being more enlightened was meant in a sarcastic tone, of course.

People today have such a lack of understanding of history, they probably view WW2 as an unnecessary tragedy that would have better been solved through diplomacy..

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