Artistic Significance: Creative storytelling beneficial to WWII tale

This week, with Veterans Day, it was a time for the country to reflect on the sacrifices those who serve make and the impact on their lives.
While this is something people who haven’t served can never understand, there are stories that try to help us.
On Wednesday, Netflix released “The Liberator,” which is based on a true story of the U.S. Army’s 45th Infantry Division and its 500 days of combat during World War II.
The story focuses on Commander Felix Sparks, but also highlights some of the Native American and Mexican American troops he leads. It starts in Sicily and ends with the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
I’ll be honest, the war genre is not my thing.
“The Liberator” caught my attention this week because of the visual style, but the story still was interesting.
This was shot in Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation, which is a mouthful, and this is the first production to use it.
Basically, the actors film in front of a blue screen, then the background was added in 3D CGI, and 2D animation helped blend things together.
At least that’s how it sounds like this worked. There isn’t very much information out about it, presumably because it’s patent-pending technology.
However, it definitely blends live acting, 2D animation and 3D CGI.
Most of the reviews I’ve seen both on YouTube and by mainstream outlets get hung up on this art style, saying it’s confusing and hard to get into. It’s distracting from the story and means that you get less emotion from the characters.
I disagree. I like that it looks kind of like a comic book for reasons beyond the comparison of service members being heroes.
I think if it was full animation, it would have felt too much like a cartoon and not have the gravity that this serious topic deserves. On the flip side, if it was 100% live acting, to me, it would have been just another war story, and I wouldn’t have given it a chance. But, the story is powerful on a lot of levels.
First, it’s a story of people who were struggling in the military.
They wanted to fight for the country, but were struggling because of racial tensions or not feeling as though people had faith in them.
It’s a story of the underdog, of people coming together despite their differences for a common goal and the impact a leader who has faith in his men can have.
Also, importantly, it addresses the psychological impact war can have on people through their actions and in letters Sparks writes to his wife.
“My darling Mary, for the rest of my life if ever I go silent, or seem to leave you even when you’re right beside me, you’ll know where I am,” he writes in one.
I’ll be honest, this doesn’t seem like a breakthrough hit or a new classic. It’s four hours, and I spaced out for the middle two.
But, if it’s a genre you like or if you want to learn more about the fighting of WWII, it’s worth a watch. I think the art style alone makes it worth watching at least some of the series because it is interesting to look at.
I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but it is based on a real veteran, real battles and a real infantry division, which had a big impact on the outcome of WWII.
Yes, parts of the story are fiction, but at its core, the story is trying to help people understand what our veterans experienced in WWII.
While that’s something we who haven’t served can’t really understand, we can try to learn and be compassionate to those who have experienced wars.
Michael Shine is a staff writer at the Daily American Republic. He can be reached at mshine.dar@gmail.com.