Our recent history in clips

Yesterday was a red-letter day in the European calendar: Germany commemorated the 25^th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the United Kingdom – and other European countries – commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. In both countries two artistic installations reminded us of these historical facts: in Berlin, a long row of helium-filled white balloons took the place of the old wall shedding light at night; in London, a red sea of poppies flooded the moat of the Tower of London in an attempt to reflect the sea of blood which was shed during the war. The first installation was full of light in contrast to the sad shadow cast by the wall. The second installation has had such an impact on visitors that it will continue on display longer than it was due: the horror of the war turned into a breathtaking view which is worth watching.

Whenever I think about historical events which are as horrendous as these ones, I can´t help thinking about the astounding ability of human beings to overcome difficulties and cope with the most adverse circumstances. Thanks to this ability, a great deal of people manage to survive under conditions which are unbearable. Nevertheless, there is another feature which characterizes human nature: our ability to let things fall into oblivion: good things and bad things. As time goes by, we tend to forget about the importance of the events which have taken place recently, why should we worry about this tendency? Because we can´t just forget about the past, in fact, we ought to bear it mind as the only way to learn from it and to make amends to the people who suffered or who were unfairly treated.

Some of the people who went to Berlin yesterday couldn´t believe what had taken place there 25 years ago: it looked unreal, too awful to be true. It is in this aspect that cinema plays a very important role: films help us to understand the difficulties of the people who lived in a recent past, films help us to draw a faithful portrayal of human nature with its weaknesses and its strengths, films take us back to a different reality inhabited by characters whose lives were inspired by real human beings who were forced to cope with the most difficult times. If you can´t picture what it must have been like to live in East Berlin from 1961 to 1989, I suggest that you should watch The Lives of Others (2006). The Lives of Others is one of the best films that I´ve ever watched. As a viewer, it strikes a chord with you because it is a touching story which also teaches you a great deal about history. (It is an 18 rated film so if you are under 18, you should wait because the older you are, the better you can understand the story and the implications of what you are told). So here´s my recommendation if you wish to learn a bit more about the dark times of Germany in the recent 20^th century.

How about the First World War? I´m not an expert on war films so I don´t dare recommend any title. However, there´s a film which I´ve been meaning to watch for a while: Merry Christmas (2005).  The story is based on a real event: the informal, unauthorized truce which was called on Christmas Eve in 1914 when some soldiers gathered peacefully in No Man´s Land to share some moments of peace and friendship.  Yesterday we marked Remembrance Sunday so perhaps it would be the right time to watch this film which reminds us of the best qualities of human beings at the worst of times.

Do you enjoy watching war films? Would you recommend a war film which, in your opinion, is worth watching? Do you like watching historical films? What´s special about them?