"Maybe you fly boys had some special rules up there, but down here it was a different story. Trust me."
Private Benjamin Harrison
Victories is a 2018 Northern Irish Short Film by Frontier Pictures set during World War I. It is written by Andrew McNeill and directed by Thomas Pollock.
Otto von Siegman is a legendary pilot in the German army. He gets shot down on a day that turns out to be the day of the Armistice. He still ends up with a wounded British soldier Benjamin Harrison - whom he tries to help get back to his squad.
The film can be watched on Amazon Prime
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Tropes:
- Ace Pilot: Otto has 58 recorded victories.
- All Germans Are Nazis: Averted and
Word of God is that they wanted to show a sympathetic German during World War I. - Beard of Sorrow: Well mustache of sorrow. Otto has grown a mustache in the war.
- Bittersweet Ending: Both Otto and Benjamin have realised the war is All for Nothing and Otto gets captured by Benjamin's friends. But he gets Benjamin back before he succumbs to his wounds and he probably will see Emily again.
- British Accents: Benjamin has an East London accent.
- Call-Back: The shot of Otto's medal lying on the ground while he is dragged away in the background mirrors an earlier scene where he drags Benjamin away while the latter's helmet is on the ground.
- Color Wash: The film slowly becomes more sepia as it goes on.
- Creator Cameo: Director Thomas Pollock cameos as one of the soldiers seen from afar in the woods.
- "Dear John" Letter: After the Time Skip, Otto is seen reading such a letter from Emily.
- Didn't Think This Through: Lampshaded by Otto."Perhaps you shouldn't inform your enemy that the war is over by pointing a rifle at him."
- Expecting Someone Taller: Confronted with an ace pilot who's shot down 58 planes, Benjamin expected someone much older.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Otto and Benjamin have clearly become this by the end. It's very much an Odd Friendship too.
- Great Offscreen War: The film begins on the last day of World War I.
- Honor Before Reason: Otto's raison d'etre. He pretty much says that his honor is all that he has left.
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Otto realises that the war is truly over when there are no longer any sounds of artillery fire in the forest.
- Improbable Age: Lampshaded by Benjamin, who had expected Otto to be older.
- Manly Tears: Otto when reading Emily's letter.
- Motor Mouth: Benjamin manages to talk Otto's ear off even when he's been shot in the stomach.
- My Girl Back Home: Emily of course. Or as Benjamin puts it "your little fraulein".
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Otto bringing Benjamin to his unit results in him getting captured by the British army.
- Not So Stoic: Otto remains quite stoic (if a little irritable) throughout the film until he yells that his honor is all that he has left.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Benjamin at first takes the shot to the side rather easily. But he soon grows weaker.
- Pet the Dog: Otto gives Benjamin his scarf to hold against his wound.
- Scenery Gorn: At one point Otto and Benjamin walk through a bombed out forest.
- Scenery Porn: The film has several nice shots showing off the location.
- Sliding Scale of Plot Versus Characters: Firmly on the character end of the scale.
- Sophisticated as Hell: "That's Private Benjamin Harrison, the king's poor bloody infantry, thank you very much."
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Otto is a German soldier, Emily is an English girl. During World War I.
- Stepford Snarker: Benjamin is a troll who spends most of his time snarking. But he clearly carries scars from the war.
- Unnecessary Roughness: Benjamin's comrade whacks Otto in the face with a rifle while he's carrying a wounded Benjamin, and is obviously unarmed.
- Voiceover Letter: Otto reads a letter from Emily and her voice narrates what is said.
- War Is Hell: Both Otto and Benjamin seem relieved that the war is over.
- What the Hell, Hero?: "So your precious honor's more important than my life?"
- Worst Aid: Shooting someone in the side and making them walk for two days with only a scarf as a tourniquet... it's no wonder Benjamin is near death by the end.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: "You just bloody shot me and now you expect me to walk!"
