Battleground, directed by Gianni Amelio, shines a spotlight on the often unseen side of war through its exploration of doctors treating wounded soldiers in Italy during World War I. The film encapsulates the grim realities of war, the deep physical and psychological scars carried by soldiers, and the calamitous impact of the conflict on medical practitioners.
The story primarily unfolds within a military hospital, where Captain Stefano and Lieutenant Giulio, two physicians with opposing moral doctrines, grapple with their roles in the war. Being from a privileged background, Stefano believes in aiding the war effort by returning healed soldiers back to battle, while Giulio, empathetic due to his modest upbringing, considers helping soldiers escape their duties by further injuring them.
Their varying perspectives form an underlying conflict that intensifies throughout the film. Eventually, Stefano uncovers Giulio's secret aid to the soldiers, revealing a predictable plot twist in an otherwise suspenseful script. A side plot involving a nurse named Anna and a love triangle, however, undermine the overall gravity of the narrative.
The character development falls short in certain aspects, with the soldiers coming across as more vibrant and intriguing compared to the stiff doctors. Despite this, the dilemmas faced by the doctors – the struggle between humanitarianism and duty – enrich the story with captivating moral questions.
In its closing act, Battleground becomes eerily resonant with our modern times when the first victims of the 1918 Spanish flu infiltrate the hospital. The film concludes with a sobering depiction of a diseased society spiraling out of control, unsurprisingly reminiscent of the current pandemic scenario.
Despite its few shortcomings, Battleground delivers a powerful tale of individuals wrestling with grim realities, moral dilemmas, and particularly, the ruinous intersection of medicine and war. Amelio's latest work, although more subdued than his previous prominence in the '90s, remains a reflective examination of the deeper implications of war, beyond the battlefield.
