the performances, the setting, the writing, the wider context of the story and of the film; everything comes together to perfectly convey the viciousness that so often undercuts childhoods. the inner lives of all these children growing up in wartime, seeing the adults they will become, you can see yourself and your childhood friends in each one. not fully understanding what your mum means when she says she feels sorry for another child. the way children can read each other actually more eloquently than we think, how quickly we forget how we saw the world. this is such a dark play in so many ways, much of it will stay on my mind for a long time i think. my dad showed me this after remembering it from its release, in 30 odd years i’m sure this will still be with me and i can traumatise my own kids with it.
the performances, the setting, the writing, the wider context of the story and of the film; everything comes together to perfectly convey the viciousness that so often undercuts childhoods. the inner lives of all these children growing up in wartime, seeing the adults they will become, you can see yourself and your childhood friends in each one. not fully understanding what your mum means when she says she feels sorry for another child. the way children can read each other actually more eloquently than we think, how quickly we forget how we saw the world. this is such a dark play in so many ways, much of it will stay on my mind for a long time i think. my dad showed me this after remembering it from its release, in 30 odd years i’m sure this will still be with me and i can traumatise my own kids with it.
