Films from my course "WWII in Global Cinema"

By: mikolaj kunicki

Considering that college kids have no exposure to foreign and auteur films, I think they did well in this class. I was impressed by their thoughtful interpretation of and tactful approach toward Elem Klimov’s “Come and See” and Fassbinder’s “The Marriage of Maria Braun.”

01

Come and See

Elem Klimov
02

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Rainer Werner Fassbinder
03

Bataan

Tay Garnett
04

Decision Before Dawn

Anatole Litvak
05

The Burmese Harp

Kon Ichikawa
06

Paisan

Roberto Rossellini
07

Kanal

Andrzej Wajda
08

Lacombe, Lucien

Louis Malle
09

Army of Shadows

Jean-Pierre Melville
10

Ivan's Childhood

Andrei Tarkovsky
11

Devils on the Doorstep

Jiang Wen
12

The Dam Busters

Michael Anderson
13

All Quiet on the Western Front

Lewis Milestone

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mikolaj kunicki

4Feb12

You know, as much as I love Melville, I think that "Army of Shadows" has not aged that well. But this Gaullist myth makes it a great source. And all those great performances...

mikolaj kunicki

4Feb12

Hi, Because in order to discuss the evolution of WW2 combat dramas and later takes on the conflict, I had to start with what was before, WW1 movies. You know, I had to make this selection to teach a history of genre, its evolution, blueprints, paradigm shifts, styles and national representations. I loved teaching this class, but it doesn't mean I love "The Dam Busters" or "Bataan," ha ha. Please note that while covering American films, I limited myself to the birth of the WW2 combat film (Bataan) and the paradigm shift, HUMANIZATION of enemy ("Decision before Dawn." Who knows, maybe next time I'll replace "Burmese Harp" by "Fires on the Plain." Kobayashi's "The Human Condition" is too long. Thank you for your comments, Kenji.