Address 1*
Classification in categories
- Transition between two social systems
Metadata
The first scene creates a smooth transition from the “factual record” promised by the opening titles to a speaker who acts as an introductory instance. Not until time and place are stated is the speaker shown to be a diegetic figure, who appears in the shot.
In terms of imagery, the address is situated at the intersection of nation and army, of the flag and uniformed masses. The static geometry and frontality of the shot composition formally echo the stasis and frontality of the military address (> EMU 1).
This frontality aligns a radical characteristic of the principle of the military address with the cinematic staging. It establishes the film’s relation to the reality of war and to the audience, as made clear by the gaze into the camera at the words “who are prepared to kill and be killed.” MG