In this evocative war film, we don't get the usual battle scenes or
soldiers etc ( such as Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket ).
We do not see the brutality and realism of death camps. We get a
refreshing perspective, showing how war affects everyday people,
such as Charlotte and the French villagers, and the two little boys ,
who we do not realise are Jewish straight away; just ordinary kids. This film works on a number of levels; how war forces people to
make unbearable decisions, such as Julien's decision to save the
children rather than his father. How war causes inherent distrust,
betrayal, and loyalty; bringing out both the worst and best in
everyday people. It comments on the fleeting circumstances of
love, and its fragility; Charlotte realises that because of her
experiences she cannot possibly love the English pilot; which is
what all of her motivation and desire originally was; war changes
people forever. Armstrong deliberately and cleverly gives Blanchett
the name "Gray"; in the process of the story she increasingly
becomes confused, guilt-ridden, distrustful; realising that war is
not the good guy against the bad guy ( an easy attitude for the pilot
who can just shoot down an enemy plane if it has German
markings, or bomb targets that are German...he was aloof and
"cold" because of this role, and Charlotte sees it in their final
meeting, after she had been immersed in the conflict rather than
flying above it ). War has so many shades of grey ( gray ), very
perceptively portrayed by the director; naturally, a woman. This will
be an eternal issue; carried on at this very moment by the
inevitable war with Iraq; politicians and those who brainwash the
military, if they haven't been already, can only see in black or white,
and will always face the consequences of this.
