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johnbeverley123 (1)
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[spoiler alert] Leave no trace has two primary topics it explores. Firstly is the relationship between a father and his daughter. Their circumstances are testing for them. They must be hard working and understanding to survive, along with being disciplined and vigilant against being discovered by outsiders. For an experienced adult these circumstances are difficult, and naturally even more so for a child. It would therefore be understandable for a father to forgive their child should they make a mistake. It is a sympathy many parents show. Will does not, despite the situation. Their bond of trust is now broken, and Will takes on the entire burden himself. This is shown when he leaves to collect food alone whereas before Tom would join him. Understandably given the tasks he faces he cannot cope and he can no longer fill out his responsibilities. We are then led to believe he has come to terms with his failure and he must rekindle his relationship with his daugher, one which at the start of the film was a happy one. This is shown in a scene where the trust between Tom and the bees allows her to survive. Whilst this story arch of a character recovering from a fall would be fitting, it is used to build for a moving final scene. We see how Will discovers how trust and this bond with someone important in his life can help him survive, however his trauma is so significant that even then this takes priority, and suddenly the focus shifts to the second key topic - the impact a trauma can have on a person. The key message is how war can affect people.
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