As teachers of history, we’re always looking for media that can enhance the learning process. War movies can be excellent history lessons, but who has the time to show one? A good alternative might be to show a short war film. Recently I was clued in about a 22 minute film about WWI which I would be showing in my American History class if I wasn’t retired. “Their War” was directed and written by Max Mason. It has received numerous accolades from film festivals. The movie is a simple tale of a British soldier and a German soldier. Both leave their wives to enlist in the war at the start (before anyone knew what it was going to be like). Their paths eventually cross.
The movie is very well made, especially considering the low budget. The trenches are realistic and there is even some nice action, although less realistic because of the small nature of the story. But don’t show it in class so your students can learn about trench warfare. To do that, there are wonderful excerpts on YouTube from movies like “All Quiet on the Western Front”. Show it so your students can get a feel for the effects war has on men and women. The two lead actors are much better than you could expect in a short film and they each get a scene where their characters discuss their war experience. Be aware that the German soldiers speak German, so your students will have to read subtitles. Their meeting in battle is poignant and should impact your students. The movie can lead to an interesting class discussion. For instance, should Arthur have left his pregnant wife to go to war? Was Nikolaus a coward?
“Their War” is available free on YouTube. Take advantage of this little gem.
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