All Quiet on the Western Front (part 3)

So even though I'm busy right now and I have no acute observations at the moment, this is a good film to watch; it's not my favorite, but the entire work is character-driven, as the story should be. It's one of the first films to have a Pacifist message, and the scenes with the elders, the teacher, Kat's death, and the conclusion are the clinchers. I always liked Kat, and I thought he would be one of the survivors; that's not the case, unfortunately, and what ensues is a massive example of dehumanization. One minute, all he has is a busted knee, but by the next camera shot, Paul is carrying him over his shoulders like a pig and there's a gash in the back of his head so deep, nothing could be done. Then there is also the butterfly scene, the symbol of lost hope; it is unattainable. No one can go back.
The civilian adults' ignorance is also apalling; to the viewer, the soldiers are obviously suffering, but to them, they're only getting the best. They must be so indoctrinated that they don't realize they're speaking the greatest of idiocies, like telling them to "push on to Paris". It's nothing but a game to them. Don't they realize the entire war's a stalemate?! Probably not; the Kaiser's government probably made sure they didn't know the truth - and that's a terrible thing. The same applies to the younger students and the teacher, the one who should've known better. Patriotism is good, but nationalism is bad. There is a vast difference between the two. Patriotism is taking pride in a country's best aspects; nationalism is when a person is too prideful to even see the country's faults.
In their defense, however, I once read in this IMDB forum that the elder Germans had a different war experience than that of World War I; they had a quick victory in the Franco-Prussian War and expected to get the same result in this movie. As we all know, however, this was not to be. All the Germans had were a blockade that nearly wiped them out and the Treaty of Versailles, which set the scene for World War II and Nazi Germany. As stated before, the country banned this movie during Hitler's reign for its message and also because the government thought it made the country look like patsies. Either way, this is no excuse for ignorance.
On a positive note, I'm looking forward to Citizen Kane, one of Orson Welles' earlier films. Legend has it that William Randolph Hearst tried to sabotage the movie's success and keep it from playing in theaters. However, the cast and crew found a loophole and held outdoor screenings instead. Welles uses innovative shots and also has the entire story play out from Kane's perspective; it's based on Hearst's life and how he was one of the ruthless men in the newspaper business. Though some people say it's overrated, I only heard good things about it and I hope I won't be disappointed. I personally think Welles is an intelligent man and that he has an alluring voice (it's hard to find a bass/baritone voice these days), even though I haven't seen most of his films. Let's hope I rectify that soon.
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P.S. Apparently, the only person who looks and actually has time to read my blog is Mr. Bennett...