Question

This short historical video from 1897 is an animated interpretation of an 1873 painting titled Les Dernières Cartouches (The Last Cartridges [Bullets]) by Alphonse de Neuville about the Franco-Prussian War. The film, too, is called Les Dernières Cartouches and was also released as Bombardement d'une Maison or Bombing of a House. Watch the video and examine the painting. Then compare the two. How is the video's depiction of the scene different from the original portrayal in the painting? Which aspects are emphasized and which are minimized in each work? Finally, how does the artistic medium of each work influence the purpose, subject, and theme? Optional: Conduct outside research to clarify your understanding of these two pieces.

Answer 1

Sample Answer:

Your answer should include these points:

First, it can help to understand the context of both pieces. Outside research reveals that both works depict an incident in the Franco-Prussian War right before the Battle of Sedan in 1870. French troops of the "Blue Division" carried out attacks on the Germans from a civilian house until the French ran out of cartridges, or bullets. This event is celebrated in French history even today.

Alphonse de Neuville’s painting Les Dernières Cartouches recalls the detail of the last bullet in its title. It is patriotic, showing the soldiers fighting with their last strength as some of them are injured or dying. But the scene does not reflect the frenzied activity of war, and the soldiers almost look posed.

George Méliès was a French filmmaker. Unlike the painting, his silent film Les Dernières Cartouches concentrates more on the action than the theme of patriotism.

Because it is a film, the action does not look posed. Soldiers keep moving to and fro, collecting bullets, shooting at the enemy, climbing ladders. At one point, a nurse enters the house to care for the wounded. There is more smoke and chaos in the film than in the painting. When a bomb is thrown into the house, the house seems to be falling apart.

While the painting is patriotic, the film is more about the details of the battle itself.