Journal 6: Beast of No Nation Review by Miranda

The film Beasts of No Nations by Cary Fukunaga was definitely emotional and vivid. The boys became so brainwashed by traumatic experiences and coaching that they developed almost into little monsters or beasts. Throughout the movie the sense of feeling empathy for the young boys is so strong. The acting in this movie is actually surprisingly good. I honestly thought it would be weird movie or one with horrible actors. But I was wrong. This movie closely relates to the book we have been reading in class, A Long Way Gone. In the book, Ishmael talks about becoming a boy soldier, not by choice but because he had too.  After losing his family to the rebels, he was alone besides a few friends that he ended up losing on the way. He ended up being brainwashed by his commander, as he convinced him as well as the other boys. He put in their heads that everyone else was the reason that their families had been killed and friends. Not only was it the rebels, but everyone became the enemy. Agu the main character in the film had a very similar life. He lost his father and brother in the war and was left all alone. His mother, another brother and sister went to the capital and he never seen them again. As he was escaping the war through the woods he was captured by a group of soldiers where they turned him into a boy soldier as well. He was in turn brainwashed, thinking everyone was to blame for the death of his father and brother. He felt angry and no longer seemed to have feelings as the movie progressed and his experience through the war. When he lost his only friend Strika after he had been shot, it reminded me of how Ishmaels friends had been shot and killed in war as well. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone that is interested in an dramatic film.

The Commandant telling Agu to kill his first man, by chopping him in the head with a blade. The Commandant would tell him, that the man was the person who killed his father and brother, when in reality it wasn't. But it made Agu mad enough to start killing the man. (Brainwashing)