Michael Jackson Syndrom

One of the most prevelant themes in the film Citizen Kane is the loss of innocence.  You can see this most clearly at the end of the film when the mystery behind "rosebud" is revealed.  Here you have this powerful, important man who was surrounded by influencial and famous people, as well as a huge fortune, but all he cared about in the end was his sled called Rosebud.  This speaks volumes about what he needed the most in life, and that was his childhood and true home which was taken away from him at a very young age.   Kane's personality seems similar to that of some child stars in our society today.  I think the mystery behind rosebud also came from another message the director wanted to send, in saying that it's the smaller sentimental things in life that really give it meaning.

Kane Caged

In the scene after Kane's second wife leaves him, we see him very dramatically and violently trashing their room.  He trips around like an animal who is in a cage much too small and is throwing a tamtrum.  This situation is emphasized by the director's use of low camera angles that make Kane into a menacing giant with a low ceiling above.  After he destroys everything in the room, the effect of a "caged beast" is added to by that fact that he is being view by an audience of the servants from the palace.  It's almost as if he is an attraction in a zoo or circus that is being gawked over.

Germans, Shmermans!

I don't think the fact the soldiers are Germans, being watched by an American audience, matters much to the film.  The director did an excellent job at focussing more on the humanity of the characters rather than their national allegience while fighting America.  However, I still feel that if the war was WWI rather than WWII, Americans would have a difficult time sympathizing with German soldiers(reguardless of how much they aren't "Nazi-like"). 

Existentialism: Who Cares?

 Milestone's use of existentialism in All is Quiet on the Western Front is great because he lays it out to us so frankly, and this in turn adds to the message of war's shocking reality.  He tears you out of any protected world or ideas you had and kills any hope you may have held on to.
 I feel like these existential ideals were necessary, however, in portraying the merciless brutality of war.  After all, if people have the idea that God will be able to help them no matter what, war won't seem so scary.  For that reason, I appreciate what he did in the film, regardless of if I agree with it.