The Hurt Locker

Plot: An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he's indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.


Even though the Hurt Locker is a different War time period compared to my Radio play it still presents the effect of war, on both the soldiers and the families. It shows how risky it is to fight for your country and how all the troops work together- This could help me in terms of my character through the way the german boy has the risk of being in the front line and the fears he faces if he goes there. It also shows that war is still going on in today's society and that it is reality. 

Black Book research

Plot: Israel 1956. Rachel, a Jew, rather unexpectedly meets an old friend at the kibbutz where is she working as a teacher. It brings back memories of her experiences in The Netherlands during the war, memories of betrayal. September 1944. Rachel is in trouble when her hiding place is bombed by allied troops. She gets in contact with a man from the resistance and joins a group of Jews who are to be smuggled across the Biesbosch by boat to the freed South Netherlands. Germans from a patrol boat murder them all however. Only Rachel is able to escape. She is rescued by a resistance group under the leadership of Gerben Kuipers. When Kuipers' son is captured after trying to smuggle weapons, he asks Rachel to seduce SS-hauptsturmführer Ludwig Müntze. Soon she will find out the attack in the Biesbosch wasn't a coincidence.


This film could help me for my Radio play because it has the Theme of love, betrayal, survival and trust which is similar to my plot. It also looks at the whole issue of who you could trust around the time of the war and how people would behave because of it

Sunshine research

This film tells the story about 3 generations of a Jewish family living in Hungary, rising from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. The patriarch becomes a prominent judge but is torn when his government sanctions anti-Jewish persecutions. His son converts to Christianity to advance his career as a champion fencer and Olympic hero, but is caught up in the Holocaust. Finally, the grandson, after surviving war, revolution, loss and betrayal, realizes that his ultimate allegiance must be to himself and his heritage. It explains their highs and lows and the hopes and dreams they all have. 


This film includes a brief scene whereby the family are effected by the war. News reports , the changes that the germans made, a concentration camp and life after the camp are shown all in this film. 
The Jewish family in this tale are separated and horrific scenes take place as the men of the family are tortured and murdered inside the camps however the hope and dreams of this family does not change even when the war is over and the family have lost people they love. 


This film could help me in terms of my radio play because it showed how the War effected people who were in families, especially those who lost their loved ones and survived the camps. It also showed the fall of the Jews which is similar to the Jewish family in my story. Sunshine also has a first person narration which is told by Ralph Fiennes which could also be helpful because my radio play is told through the eyes of the Jewish girl and German boy. 

Research: David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga Interview- Boy in The Striped Pajamas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=judzB7XTpw8

This interview with the actors who play the mother and father in Boy In The Striped Pajamas helped me massively through the way they are a modern p.o.v of what people think of WW2 today and they also talk about relationship of people in the same situation as the characters in my radio play. They also talk about voice and using british accents compared to German accents in the film and how using the normal voice destroys the whole universal feeling to the piece , plus its not why the audience want to listen to it. 

Berlin research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nch5MbnvTqY

This video could help me in terms of research for my radio play through the way it tells the true events of what happened in Berlin at the time my Radio play is set. It also shows the people who were involved in the war and their day-to-day lives. 

Queen Death on two legs - Research

Words and music by freddie mercury

You suck my blood like a leech
You break the law and you preach
Screw my brain till it hurts
You’ve taken all my money
And you want more
Misguided old mule with your pig headed rules
With your narrow minded cronies
Who are fools of the first division
Death on two legs
You’re tearing me apart
Death on two legs
You’ve never had a heart of your own
Kill joy bad guy big talking small fry
You’re just an old barrow boy
Have you found a new toy to replace me?
Can you face me?
But now you can kiss my ass goodbye
Feel good are you satisfied?
Do you feel like suicide?
(I think you should)
Is your conscience all right
Does it plague you at night?
Do you feel good feel good?

You talk like a big business tycoon
You’re just a hot air balloon
So no one gives you a damn
You’re just an overgrown schoolboy
Let me tan your hide
A dog with disease
You’re the king of the ’sleaze’
Put your money where your mouth is
Mister know-all
Was the fin on your back
Part of the deal? (shark)
Death on two legs
You’re tearing me apart
Death on two legs
You’ve never had a heart (you never did) of your own
(right from the start)
Insane you should be put inside
You’re a sewer rat decaying in a cesspool of pride
Should be made unemployed
Then make yourself null and void
Make me feel good I feel good

I think these lyrics symbolise the pure greed and hate of people. These lyrics may help me through the way the lyrics can portray the words of both the Germans and the Jews. I think it also gives a clear idea about the Jewish families who lost their loved ones and the pain and hate they felt. It also could reflect the hate the German's had for the Jews and what they believed the Jews were

Muse- Lyrics research

The paranoia is in bloom, the PR
The transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs
Keep us all dumbed down and hope that
We will never see the truth around
(So come on!)

Another promise, another scene, another
A package not to keep us trapped in greed
With all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on!)

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll if you could
Flick the switch and open your third eye, you'd see that
We should never be afraid to die
(So come on!)

Rise up and take the power back, it's time that
The fat cats had a heart attack, you know that
Their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

This song really did make me think about the attitude of both the Jews and the germans. Even though this song probably has a different meaning it made me think of what they were thinking and what they were told on both sides.