Essay Questions

Why did many of the soldiers volunteer to fight in the war?

Many soldiers in the British army (at the very least) felt compelled to answer the call of war not only because everyone around them was getting shipped off to war, but because they feared that their country could succumb to the evilness that was the Central Powers. In other words, they gave into war fever and decided to contribute their part to it by fighting.

How did the soldiers cope with losses of their friend?

VIrtually every one of the narrators in the film mentioned that they lost a friend or a family member in the war, sometimes right in front of them. They dealt with this loss in several ways: 1) by compartmentalizing, 2) by grieving the loss and continuing to fight, 3) by soldiering on despite horrible conditions knowing that in the end, they will be rewarded for their bravery and service to their country, and 4) by developing a mental disorder that soldiers called "Shell Shock," which is similar to PTSD.