Use of Realism in War Game Docudrama by P. Watkins Literature Essay (Essay Sample)

The War Game
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Use of Realism in The War Game Docudrama by Peter Watkins
Film directors use different styles to infuse realism on their works because it helps captivate the audience and heighten the entertainment value of their works. Some of the ways they use realism is through using realistic and places, featuring experts to expound on a subject, re-enacting historical happenings, featuring famous people that are relatable to the audience etc. Peter Watkins in the The War Game uses some of these methods to tell his nuclear story. This essay will focus on some of the ways how Watkins incorporated realism in the War Game docudrama.
The director creates realism by featuring actual interviews conducted by the film production team on various people and collected their thoughts on the nuclear war. The director shows how people are ill-informed on their preparedness and understanding of the nuclear war. In one scene, it shows a woman claiming that the British should retaliate to its would-be aggressors with an equal force should Britain be attacked. Most of the interviewed people echoed this stance on nuclear war not knowing the short-term and long-term effects. The interviews also show that the people did not understand the mandate they had given their leaders and the potential consequences of the actions and decisions of their leaders. It also shows how the government has failed in disseminating important information to the public especially on radiation and short and long long-term effects of radiation. There are also some interviews on government officials which help show the government’s position and preparedness of a nuclear war. These realistic interviews help the audience to connect with the people on a new level relating to their experiences and understanding of nuclear war. It even challenges their ideologies about war and its effects.