Unbroken Movie Analysis

A few years ago I went to see the movie “Unbroken” with my family. It is the story of a man that was a prisoner of war in World War II. On the way home from seeing the movie I complained about how some of the disturbing imagery had made me uncomfortable and how I didn’t think I could stomach watching the movie a second time. My father’s reply to my complaints was “It is your discomfort with the movie that is the reason you should watch it everyday.” That statement has been one that has stuck with me. That movie, like these photos, brought “home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war” as the New York Times put it. I will admit that these photos make me uncomfortable, but that’s the point. War is the complete opposite of comfortable.
As a mass communications major, a quote I often hear thrown around was penned by a Mr.
Dooley and he said, “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Allowing these photos to be viewed by the public accomplishes the second part of this. Life is not censored. There are harsh realities, but if we are to hide them because they are harsh we are at the same time almost trying to forget the fact that they exist. When in reality, constantly keeping in mind these pictures of the results of war would ultimately lead to better consideration for the people who are on the front lines of war. Personally I think it is important for people to see the truth, the good and the bad. Of course these images shouldn’t be put in children’s picture books, but they should be allowed to be seen by the
public. It is hard to say how photos like these would affect public opinion if they were posted today. As a society we are desensitized to the tragedies of war. This de-sensitivity is caused by countless reasons ranging from violent video games to the fact that many Americans have not personally felt the impacts of war. That is not to say there would be no effects. I think it would encourage certain groups to demand an end to war. It would cause others to become angry with media for exposing horrifying pictures without a content warning. Photos like these would strike fear and distress to the parents and loved ones of soldiers because it would be proof of the harsh reality that the soldiers are facing. In summary, are these photos disturbing? The answer is yes. War is disturbing but we can’t shield ourselves from it. That would be refusing to acknowledge it. It is only by exposing ourselves to these realities that we can gain perspective and make the right decisions for the people fighting the war.