French Foreign Legion: Movie Analysis

Beau Geste (1939) is a perfect example of the situation of film at the time. Film is shaped by both those creating the film and the society they come from. This is evident in Beau Geste, as it is a prime example of a movie that went with the code, and also shows the mind of America in how it was thinking about World War II, which was developing in Europe. Though Beau Geste is about the French Foreign Legion, and not the Great War nor World War II, it still demonstrates America’s view of war. It introduces war as something boys play about, and when grown up as men, continue to do so. They are not exposed to horrors, have a clear black-and-white reason to fight, and do their duty with no fear. This, especially the unusual clarity of who is right …show more content…
This clearly shows how America, a country who was no stranger to the thoughts of going into war by the time this film was made, believed war went. In fact, according to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, “War was romantic. War was colorful flags, spiked helmets and flashing sabers. War was an adventure. Those called to arms would be heroes, defending their homelands and way of life.” This view is clearly apparent in Beau Geste, where life in the French Foreign Legion is quite literally described as an adventure, and shown as one where flags are proudly flown and the heroes act honorably against the villanous enemy; where even the captain, who is not honorable and a clearly defined villain, will work with his soldier to defend the fort. This unrealistic portrayl of war continues into the battles themselves. Even though people are killed, they are not gruesomely killed, but honorable. Though some of this is efinitely attributable to what was acceptable to show in film, it must be noted that they are shot and are dead, there is no suffering. Even the more questionable practice of using dead bodies as decoys to seem like there are more soldiers is excused as being done by the villainous captain, and as a