"Make films, not war."

In the wonderful world of cinema, we have come across a variety of genres and styles of films- Romance, comedy, thriller, action, crime, documentary, sci-fi, war films, animation, etc. A lot of movie buffs, like myself, find it difficult to pick a favourite - personally feel that it is unfair to pick a favourite, or I just feel not worthy enough to be picking one. But there is one particular genre that makes me think about human nature and how we respond to tragedies, suffering, and loss of humanity...

War films.

What is it about this genre that we love so dearly? Why do we hate war but love the films that are inspired by it?

Asking myself these questions, I find myself imagining an uncomfortable scenario where I have the power to go back in time and stop World War II at its tracks, and that would mean films like The Pianist, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Life Is Beautiful, The Grave Of The Fireflies, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, Letters from Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, and all other films inspired by World War Il would be wiped out from the face of the earth.

Even though I would be saving millions and countless lives, it would still be a heavy price to pay, won't it? Yes, I know I sound borderline sociopathic when I say that out loud but I'm sure every war film lover (or a film lover in general) would feel a little pang of sadness for a second before erasing all traces and memories of war films from the minds of everyone. And rightly so, because these films made us feel, they broke our hearts and spirits into a million pieces, they made us think of loss and wallow in deep melancholia, they made us appreciate the little things we otherwise would've taken for granted, and they most certainly scare the wits out of us. And to erase these films would be to erase these feelings and emotions that reminded us that we are humans, feelings and emotions that somehow made us feel alive and perhaps, even made us better human beings.

War and art inspired by war. This whole thing unfolds itself as a beautiful irony- You hate war but you are thankful for the films that have been inspired by it. Maybe that's how life and art breathe, by the latter borrowing and imitating the former, and sometimes they even borrow from each other.

But coming back to the scenario, and just for clarity's sake! Of course, I'd rather save millions of people than saving a handful of war films. This is the unwavering decision I would make over and over again, if given the chance.

I guess we'd all have to settle for less sadder things (than war) in life.