Its probably no secret that the individuals 'duty' is one of the main themes in this movie. And it gracefully manages to keep a consistent theme throughout the story without watering it down.
The main character is burdened with duties from all sides: He shall report traitors, while at the same becoming one by whistle-blowing on the artist. The artists begs him to keep quiet, which in turn means to dishonor his father and break an obligation of biblical proportions. His sister puts the responsibility of staying in an abusive family on him, while his brother forces him to keep quiet about his hiding place - by threat of breaking his skull.
Wherever the child goes, he is presented with things he must not do, there are rare occasions of uncoditional love, mostly his interactions with humans are: '...but you must not...!'. He experiences life not in freedom but within the boundaries of duties.
No wonder his knowledge of obligations fills hundreds of pages.
So, in all these situations, with opposing forces of obligations, which one would be the right thing to do? Speak or keep quiet? Reveal or hide? A or B?
In retrospect, these questions are easy to answer. But this movie puts us in the head of a child without an omniscient perspective, just at the beginning of orienting his moral compass, with magnetic forces pulling on either side.
Its a tragedy, really.
The main character is burdened with duties from all sides: He shall report traitors, while at the same becoming one by whistle-blowing on the artist. The artists begs him to keep quiet, which in turn means to dishonor his father and break an obligation of biblical proportions. His sister puts the responsibility of staying in an abusive family on him, while his brother forces him to keep quiet about his hiding place - by threat of breaking his skull.
Wherever the child goes, he is presented with things he must not do, there are rare occasions of uncoditional love, mostly his interactions with humans are: '...but you must not...!'. He experiences life not in freedom but within the boundaries of duties.
No wonder his knowledge of obligations fills hundreds of pages.
So, in all these situations, with opposing forces of obligations, which one would be the right thing to do? Speak or keep quiet? Reveal or hide? A or B?
In retrospect, these questions are easy to answer. But this movie puts us in the head of a child without an omniscient perspective, just at the beginning of orienting his moral compass, with magnetic forces pulling on either side.
Its a tragedy, really.