Heroes of Crete,
National Film Unit 1941
Savage’s successor Peter Fraser gives a typically crafted message in one of New Zealand’s darkest hours – fully one half of the New Zealand Division that fought in the desperate battles of Greece and Crete have been killed captured or wounded.
“The New Zealanders, Maori and European alike, have faced tremendous odds with great courage. They were almost entirely without air support yet they met and held an air attack of unprecedented extent and violence until they were literally blasted out of their positions. They held back and decimated the Nazi parachute troops. Without food for days and in some cases even without water, many of them suffering from wounds and sickness, they retired in orderly fashion to the beaches from which they were evacuated, by the never failing Navy.
Their courage, their endurance, their repeated proofs of an unconquerable spirit, their sufferings, their sacrifices, will not be in vain. New Zealand is wholeheartedly in the fight for liberty, alongside the motherland with the other countries of the British Commonwealth and our allies. New Zealand has dedicated the whole of her resources to the struggle for the freedom of mankind and will continue to do her utmost until Nazi and fascist tyranny is finally and completely defeated.”
Discussion Points:
- Traditional direct-to-camera-from-behind-the-desk address.
- Emotionally-toned adjectives – tremendous odds, great courage, unprecedented…
- Decimated the Nazis etc – emphasizing the strength and success of the Kiwi soldiers. Even the evacuation was well done, “orderly fashion” etc.
- Repetition – “their …”
- Adverbial intensifiers – wholeheartedly, completely, entirely
- Pronouns – our. Emphasizes the ‘we’re all in this together’ attitude.
- Lofty phrases – “the freedom of all mankind”
- Emotive discussion of the enemy – fascist tyranny etc.
- Newsreel introduction – the formal newscast suggests factual accuracy etc
- Fraser’s speech as a voiceover while we see film of the soldiers, especially the lads looking happy with their mates etc.
