Throughout time, people have used war as a means of resolving conflict with one another. And in doing so the main focus of achieving peace is lost in the bloodshed of others on the opposing side. The task of obtaining peace through the method of killing falls to those who are sent to fight for it. The brutal tactics of war used to gain an advantage over the other side could be considered traumatizing to anyone experiencing it. The distress caused by such events could effect a person in such a way that the recollection of memories from that time would make it a painful thing to remember for any individual. In relation to experiencing combat it may take a while to be able to cope with the passing of events and to come to terms with what happened, as well as the ability to recognize the details of the war, and let it be at peace.
In the movie The War Steven Simmons is a retired war veteran back home from the Vietnam War, and he suffers from PTS. (post traumatic stress). He frequently suffers from nightmares about the war, and is often reminded of what occurred while he was there (i.e: radio broadcasts, people speaking of it etc). When the Lipnicki's father starts to attack Stu - Steven grabs him in a choke hold. He still remembers the training he went through as a solider, and when put in a stressful situation he reacted on instinct. (He also grabs Stu when Stu tries to wake him). He doesn't want to resort to violence, but will use it if need be. Because of his pts and the time he spent in the hospital he has trouble holding a job, but is able to get one working in the mines. Later when the rocks collapse on him and a friend of his - Moe, he saves both their lives. In this way he is making up for the mistakes he believes need to be redeemed from the war. Earlier on during the war he left his friend Dodge -to save his own life. Steven is put in the hospital, and later is taken off life-support and dies. But he redeems himself by saving his friend and helps to put his family in a better house. In the end Steven forgives and makes peace with himself for the things that went on in the war.
In the movie The War Steven Simmons is a retired war veteran back home from the Vietnam War, and he suffers from PTS. (post traumatic stress). He frequently suffers from nightmares about the war, and is often reminded of what occurred while he was there (i.e: radio broadcasts, people speaking of it etc). When the Lipnicki's father starts to attack Stu - Steven grabs him in a choke hold. He still remembers the training he went through as a solider, and when put in a stressful situation he reacted on instinct. (He also grabs Stu when Stu tries to wake him). He doesn't want to resort to violence, but will use it if need be. Because of his pts and the time he spent in the hospital he has trouble holding a job, but is able to get one working in the mines. Later when the rocks collapse on him and a friend of his - Moe, he saves both their lives. In this way he is making up for the mistakes he believes need to be redeemed from the war. Earlier on during the war he left his friend Dodge -to save his own life. Steven is put in the hospital, and later is taken off life-support and dies. But he redeems himself by saving his friend and helps to put his family in a better house. In the end Steven forgives and makes peace with himself for the things that went on in the war.
Lidia and Stu - Steven's children are both always getting into trouble with other people - normally the Lipnicki's. During the summer they and their friends decide to build a tree house.Also during the summer while the girls (Lidia and her friends) are busy dancing and building the fort - Lidia once calls one of her friends a racial slur - but apologizes afterward. Then, during class the teacher, while talking to the children about memoir's makes all of the black kids sit in the back. Lidia then stands up for and defends her friend against the teacher's racist remarks. She redeems her earlier mistake and is forgiven. Later on the Lipnicki's make some bets with Stu and Lidia about the fort - because most of the parts are stolen from their house. In this way they have a private little war of their own. They dare Stu to swim across the water tower, and steal the key from the fort and throw it on the roof. Later after the Simmon's father dies and the Lipnicki's attack the fort, the kids use their father's old battle gear to wage war against them. After that catastrophe one of the Lipnicki's - Billy goes back to the water tower and tries to retrieve the key - but falls in. Stu and Lidia rescue him - and the two feuding parties come to an agreement. Much like their father - they have their own demons and must face them, but by coming to an agreement with the Lipnicki's they settle their differences and forgive each other.
Overall the narrative throughout the film - is Lidia's own memoir - and her memories of that summer. In the beginning she sees and describes her father as a deadbeat man, who can't hold down a job, who also takes advantage of them and their mother. She thinks about him in an almost disgraceful tone, ashamed for him being the way he is. Later on she recognizes the tragedy of the war, and how it broke him. How he had to live with the aftermath and pain the war brought him. In the end, after their father dies and is gone, they find out about the house. Lidia gains a new perspective of him, and starts to change who she thought he was. Now instead of thinking him a coward, she thinks of him as a hero. She accepts the fact that it was the war that made him estranged. Both the war - the one their father fought in, and the one the kids engaged in with the bullies (Lipnicki's), are parallel's in each other. They both makes mistakes along the way, have trouble coping with difficult times, but in the end they stop the fighting and come to a truce. The kids and Steven's wars are different but alike. They both fought their own battles, and won some, and lost some. But the conflict of war ends with the peace between both families and Steven with rectifying his past. They all find ways to redeem and save themselves, after the end of the wars. The past is remembered but forgiven.
Forgiveness is the key. On both sides of the story it is earned and the conflicts are absolved. But is there a point where something cannot be forgiven? When can a deed not be undone? In The War Steven being a soldier the the war haunts him, and he believes he cannot be forgiven for what he did. But in the end he accepts this, and forgives himself for the past. It was only to the point of death did he realize that he could be forgiven, and does so. Although the deeds he had committed were not easy for him to get past, he see's in the end that even some grace is possible.
Overall the narrative throughout the film - is Lidia's own memoir - and her memories of that summer. In the beginning she sees and describes her father as a deadbeat man, who can't hold down a job, who also takes advantage of them and their mother. She thinks about him in an almost disgraceful tone, ashamed for him being the way he is. Later on she recognizes the tragedy of the war, and how it broke him. How he had to live with the aftermath and pain the war brought him. In the end, after their father dies and is gone, they find out about the house. Lidia gains a new perspective of him, and starts to change who she thought he was. Now instead of thinking him a coward, she thinks of him as a hero. She accepts the fact that it was the war that made him estranged. Both the war - the one their father fought in, and the one the kids engaged in with the bullies (Lipnicki's), are parallel's in each other. They both makes mistakes along the way, have trouble coping with difficult times, but in the end they stop the fighting and come to a truce. The kids and Steven's wars are different but alike. They both fought their own battles, and won some, and lost some. But the conflict of war ends with the peace between both families and Steven with rectifying his past. They all find ways to redeem and save themselves, after the end of the wars. The past is remembered but forgiven.
Forgiveness is the key. On both sides of the story it is earned and the conflicts are absolved. But is there a point where something cannot be forgiven? When can a deed not be undone? In The War Steven being a soldier the the war haunts him, and he believes he cannot be forgiven for what he did. But in the end he accepts this, and forgives himself for the past. It was only to the point of death did he realize that he could be forgiven, and does so. Although the deeds he had committed were not easy for him to get past, he see's in the end that even some grace is possible.
