Discussion Questions
March 4, 2020
- How does the movie portrayal of battle, soldier experience, etc., as depicted in the movie Passchendaele compare to the written sources that you’ve read so far? What specific links or comparisons could you draw between the two?
- In New Theatres of War, Cook and Schultz say that the role of Canadians in the Great War is a “…Canadian subject wrapped in myth, legend, and layers of memory….” In considering the movie, how are those three components evident or depicted?
- “Gross offers some non-traditional views of the home front”. What do the authors mean by that? What are examples? How do they fit with anything else that you’ve read?
- It could be argued that Passchendaele “stretches” historical accuracy and interpretation. If you were to “correct” those aspects, what three points would you change, and why?
- According to Cook and Schultz, “Passchendaele has become and will remain an important tool for future historians in assessing one of the ways that Canadians have accessed their shared past.” What do the authors mean by that?
- What is Nic Clarke’s contribution to our understanding of the Canadian war effort? Why is it important?