Topics in Europe history (RUSSIA), Review Essay Assignment
Mustafa 2
Seban Mustafa
03/14/2021
Hist 3090 – Dr. Paulauskas
Review Essay Assignment
World War II
Over several weeks we talked about different themes that happened in the Russian history. World War II topic is the most interesting because it shows what the Russians value as a culture. Throughout the World War II Russian movies that they produced, “The Cranes are Flying (1957)”, “ Ivan’s Childhood (1962)”, and “Come and See (1985)” there was a consistent theme among them, that is the undying loyalty to motherland, nobody is above the motherland, and how terrible the Nazi army are.
The undying loyalty to the motherland was a big theme in “The Cranes are Flying (1957)”, “ Ivan’s Childhood (1962)”, and “Come and See (1985)”. During the piece times in the beginning of the movies all the main characters were a hard-working people that offered a lot to the motherland. In the “The Cranes are Flying (1957)” the main character Boris Fyodorovich Borodin was working at a factory and he was in love with Veronika. Once the war broke out Boris volunteered to go to war even though his father was not happy with his decision and he was still a young man that had a future ahead of him. In “The Cranes are Flying (1957)” Veronika asks Boris, “Did you volunteer?” then he answers her back saying “They need us” another example from this movie is when Fyodor Ivanovich Borozdin tried to talk his son out of going to the war. He says to his son “Twenty-five years old and you’re acting like a fool”, “He wants adventures” his son (Boris) responds back by being quiet. Those examples go to show how much the mother land means to the Russians. It doesn’t matter how much responsibility you have on your shoulders, the motherland comes first. The movies “The Cranes are Flying (1957)” is very similar to the movie The Fall of Berlin (1949) that we discussed in the zoom session. Alexie Ivanov A.K.A Aliocha was a similar character to Boris. Just like Aliocha, Boris was also working at a factory. Although it was a different kind of factory, both of them could’ve stayed behind and helped out the army by working at the factories, but they chose to go to the front lines and fight for the mother land because it called for their help. In respond to this call Aliocha fought off the Nazi and got his girlfriend back but Boris died on the battlefield and was unable to make it back. Both of them were viewed as heroes because they offered up their heart for the motherland when it needed them the most. During the hospital scene when the soldier was sad about his fiancé cheating on him, the doctor said to him, “ She’s not worth a cent if she’d trade handsome hero like you for some rat sitting out the war back home! it’s she who’s forfeited her happiness, not him! that sort can’t understand what we’ve suffered for them. Killing them would be too kind”. This example shows how much the Russians value a soldier who’s fighting to protect the country over someone who’s sitting around doing nothing. Even if it means that their loved one doesn’t make it back from the war, at least they died protecting the motherland. The other two movies “ Ivan’s Childhood (1962)”, and “Come and See (1985)” also had examples of loyalty to the motherland, in “ Ivan’s Childhood (1962)” Ivan was talking to Kholin and said to him, “ I know the offensive is coming. I can still be useful. You said reconnaissance is the most important part”. and in “Come and See (1985)” Florya Gaishun was talking to his mom about going to war and he said, “What do you want Ma? Everybody’s going. I must go.”. Those two examples show their undying loyalty to the motherland. Both Ivan and Florya were still kids when the war broke out but they felt the need to fight at the front line of the battlefield.
Another important theme the movies demonstrated is that nobody is above the mother land. No matter the statis, age, or ethnicity the mother land comes first. In “ Ivan’s Childhood (1962)” Ivan was still a child and he felt the duty to world with the military to help defeat the Nazi. In “Come and See (1985)” Florya was arguing with his mother about protecting the motherland. Florya mother told him, “Son, How will you ever look your father in the eye? What if he finds none here? Think of yourself, son. Pity them, at least, not me” then Florya responded back by saying, “What do you want Ma? Everybody’s going. I must go.” This examples goes to show how much the motherland means to Russians and that no matter the responsibility, the mother land comes first, always. It doesn’t matter if you’re underage or have to take care of a family, when the motherland needs help, nothing is more important. Florya had a sense of duty to the motherland, when he was left behind at the camp and wasn’t able to go to the front line of battle. He started running away and crying because he wasn’t able to answer the call of the motherland and protect but had to stay back and watch over the camp. He told Glasha, “I came here to fight. You think I’m half-wit” then stated crying and arguing with Glasha more after. In “The Cranes are Flying (1957)” Boris statis didn’t matter to him but the motherland mattered more to him. He could’ve been exempt from military duty to his job at the factory. He could’ve offered more help working at a steel company producing weapons and helping with building tanks for the army to fight with. He also could’ve gotten married to veronica and helped with the future of the motherland. But he chose to throw everything away in order to protect the motherland from its enemies. Also in the movie “The Fall of Berlin” Aliocha chose to put throw his work experience of steel working away and fight in the front lines just like Boris did. He could’ve offered more help working in the steel factory, but he chose the same bath as Boris and answered the call of the motherland.
The third and final point the theme makes is how bad the Nazi army are. In all of the movies it makes the audience think of how bad the Nazi actions were. For example, if it wasn’t for the Nazi Ivan would have grown as a normal kid and wouldn’t have PTSD from the events that happened to him as a child. He might look like a child but he was forced to mature quickly due to the Nazis war invasion. Another example is when Florya lost his family and the people of the village. Because the Nazi viewed other people as inferior races they decided to wage war against them and wipe them out of existence. The German soldier said, “Inferior races spread the communist contagion”. This proves the point of how bad the Nazi army are, they decide who the inferior races are and wipe them off clean without any mercy. The shot Florya village to death and burned everybody in the farm because the Nazi think they’re going to spread the communist idea and they’re an inferior race to the Germans, so they don’t deserve to live.
In conclusion, most of the World War II Russian movies show the same themes throughout their movies, which are undying loyalty to motherland, nobody is above the motherland, and how terrible the Nazi army are. When death is knocking on the doors of the mother land, the Russians offer their souls as shield for their country. Even if the soldiers don’t make it back from the battlefield, they will be remembered as the heroes that offered their lives and future for the sake of others.