The Romanticization of War

“War is Hell.” The often quoted phrase by General William Tecumseh Sherman is an appropriate objection to romanticized ideals of war. General Sherman understood that in order to be victorious, he must make war as horrible as possible for the enemy so that he may not wish to continue fighting. All too often the popular media produces works of fiction such as movies, books, and television shows that idealize war (Gabriel, 46). The Red Baron is a World War I film drama that tries to tackle this issue. The Red baron realistically portrays the misguided notions that war is somehow noble, but as the story progresses the reality and horror of war reveals itself

The works of Richard Gabriel and George Mosse contribute to the argument. Gabriel argues from a psychological standpoint. He proposes that throughout history, war has always been so horrible. In fact the ability of man to endure the psychological impact of this horror is so low that most soldiers that survive are in some way mentally damaged by the experience. Mosse argues that the idealization or romanticization of war can be traced back to how war is portrayed by writers and how it influences idealist. These idealists later become the leaders of the military and agitate for war. Both authors talk about how the media inaccurately portrays a romantic image of war.

Gabriel’s main argument is that war has always been horrible. It is so horrible that people are deathly afraid of it. He states, “fear and madness have been mans companions in war since the beginning of recorded history.” Humans have such a low mental capacity for dealing with the horrors of war that in ancient times, wars were often times decided in a single battle. He states, “accounts of past battles seem so ofte...

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...ters. The cover sheet of this paper is a good example because it shows an idealized German soldier. Mosse points out that death almost looks like an eternal sleep, using the rock as his pillow, surrounded by the calmness of the wood and his faithful steed. The innocence and peace of nature is a ploy that is often utilized to mask the realities of war.

The Red Baron is a film that is unlike most war movies produced in Hollywood. It addresses the notion of “nobility” and civility and how it relates to the reality of war. Often times, the noble idealists perpetrate or agitate for out of a misplaced sense of duty, honor, or masculinity. These notions are clearly portrayed early in The Red Baron. However the true nature of war always rears its ugly head; as the film progresses the idealism of war fades away and all the protagonist is left with is the brutal reality.