Quiz Blog: The Man who Planted Trees

     This film is probably my favorite out of all the films I've seen in DM101 so far. I feel like it is a good example of the idea that the more "national" your story is, the more "international" it becomes. This story in a literal sense is nothing more than a story about a man who spent his life planting trees until they became a forest. The plot of the story is strictly local and it makes no effort to tack on any kind of message, but the themes in this story are beautifully universal. Their is a strong contrast in this film between destruction and creation and Elzéard Bouffier's actions, as simple as they seem, in a sense redeem the entire human race in its obsession with destruction. The destructive tendencies of man are represented by the time period the piece is set in, the World  War era, as well as in the nature of the villages in the wasteland. The idea of redemption is physically manifested in how the land is renewed by the trees Bouffier planted; no longer inhabited by unruly trappers and charcoal burners, but brimming with farmers and youthful newcomers. This film also touches on some of the same themes as It's a Wonderful Life; showing how the acts of a single man can effect the lives of so many others. 
     On a scale of delight versus challenge, I would actually say this film is both. We the audience delight in the redemption of the land, but at the same time we cannot help but admire the work and dedication of this single man, and we are challenged to have lives with as much meaning. Lastly I will say the only disappointment I had with this film is that it is indeed fictional. Despite its setting alongside historical events, the events of this film did not happen.