also known as Ballade vom kleinen Soldaten
Ballad of the Little Soldier1984
Starring
- Werner Herzog - Himself (Voice)
- Denis Reichle - Himself
Directed By
Produced By
Cinematography
Poster & Images
Member Reviews (7)
I'm old enough to remember the Sandanistas struggle against the bloody dictator Anastasio Samoza and the subsequent illegal war that the Reagan White House waged against them by funding the Contra army.
The Sandanistas received very favourable press and those they fought against were largely portrayed as thugs.
So I was surprised to see that the Sandanistas themselves were as capable of conducting atrocities against oppressed people as the regime they replaced.
I wish that this film had delved into reasons for the conflict between the Miskito people and the Sandanistas. This lack of context lessens the impact of the film.
Heartbreaking and deeply disturbing.
Many years of fighting happened in Nicaragua after this documentary was shot. I wonder how many of these boys survived combat and had an opportunity to build a life.
The use of children in combat was certainly not restricted to the Nicaraguan conflict. The German reporter in the film mentions the German adolescent boys thrown into battle at the end of WWII. Conflicts over the last 25 years in Africa and Asia have involved large numbers of child soldiers. As the trainer stated at the end of the film, a child of 12 years will believe whatever is told to him.
So many of the regional conflicts fly under the radar for most of the world. It's a shame there is not enough publicity to bring help to their plight.
'Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows....' It blows all over and all around.
SAD
whoau....... love it