About Albert Einstein and Desmond Doss: the films Einstein and the Bomb and Hacksaw Ridge - The Decision
“Our fate depends entirely on our moral development!” This quote from Albert Einstein ends the documentary Einstein and the Bomb, which I recently watched on Netflix. Today, March 14, would be Albert Einstein's 146th birthday.
Not every hero has to be a genius, and not every genius acts like a hero. But sometimes there are overlaps - and whether someone is recognized as a hero or a genius often depends on the external circumstances and the time in which they live and work. I've seen two movies that I want to talk about today. Two completely different genres, but with one common element: war and heroism.
I watched the movies Einstein and the Bomb and Hacksaw Ridge, both on Netflix. Einstein was undoubtedly a genius - but was he also a hero? That depends on your point of view. Desmond Doss, the protagonist in Hacksaw Ridge, on the other hand, was undeniably a hero: Desmond Thomas Doss was an exceptional soldier - a hero without a gun. Born on February 7, 1919 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and died on March 23, 2006 in Piedmont, Alabama, he served as a medic in the United States Army during World War II. Despite his fundamental refusal to carry a weapon, he saved the lives of an estimated 75 wounded comrades in the Pacific War. He was the first of only three soldiers in the history of the US armed forces to be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the USA, as a conscientious objector. Unlike Thomas William Bennett and Joseph Guy LaPointe Jr. who received this award posthumously, Doss was awarded the honor during his lifetime. He showed his extraordinary bravery as a corporal in a medical unit of the 77th Infantry Division, where he repeatedly returned to the battlefield under heavy fire to save comrades - without ever holding a weapon in his hand.
What is the documentary Einstein and the Bomb about - A brief synopsis
“When Albert Einstein (Aidan McArdle) flees Germany from the Nazis via Belgium to England in 1933, where he hides in a hut for three weeks before he can fly out to the USA, the course is set for a fateful decision: Einstein, actually a pacifist, makes the decision here to help the Americans build the atomic bomb before the Nazis can develop the weapon of mass destruction. The BBC docudrama depicts these, as well as earlier and subsequent events, partly in play scenes, partly using Einstein's quotes from writings, speeches, letters and interviews, thus creating a multi-faceted picture of one of the greatest scientists of all time.” (https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/319407.html)
And Hacksaw Ridge - The Decision? - A brief summary
“Young Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) grows up in the US state of Virginia as a devoted Christian with a strict moral code. When one day his father Tom (Hugo Weaving), a war veteran and drunkard, threatens his mother Bertha (Rachel Griffiths) in an argument, Desmond takes up arms and persuades him to stop. Desmond then vows never to touch a gun again. But when his brother Hal (Nathaniel Buzolic) signs up for military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Desmond follows him a short time later. But because he still insists on not touching a weapon, his superiors Captain Glover (Sam Worthington) and Sgt. Howell (Vince Vaughn), as well as his comrades like the tough Smitty (Luke Bracey), make it extremely difficult for him in training. On the front line against the Japanese, however, the tide turns: as the bullets whiz past them and more and more casualties are reported, Desmond rises above himself and saves the lives of one wounded man after another - still without carrying a weapon...” (https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/208104.html)
Both films portray in an impressive and moving way how people can surpass themselves - and how difficult it is to follow your own path without betraying your principles. Staying true to yourself often requires courage and determination. Both Albert Einstein and Desmond Doss were pacifists. Einstein described himself as a militant pacifist - for him it was legitimate to counter the violence of the National Socialists with violence. He saw this as the only way to stop the terror. Desmond Doss, on the other hand, strictly rejected violence. His aim was to save lives, not to take them.
War seems to be not just one, but the crossroads - the point at which heroes are separated from cowards and moralists from amoralists. Many questions in the social context are currently open again. There is intense debate about rearmament, nuclear weapons and the continuation of the war in Ukraine. General conscription in Germany, which was suspended in 2011, is also an issue again. There are currently serious debates about a possible reintroduction.
- Political demands: Representatives of the CSU, such as Florian Hahn, are calling for a rapid reintroduction of compulsory military service due to the changed security situation. Hahn emphasized that the first conscripts should start their service in 2025. (See: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/wehrpflicht-debatte-102.html)
- Government plans: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has proposed a new military service model that would require all 18-year-old men to enlist. Women could join voluntarily. This model is intended to strengthen the Bundeswehr's personnel base. (See: https://soldat-und-technik.de/2024/11/streitkraefte/40623/neuer-wehrdienst/)
- Conclusion: Although compulsory military service is currently suspended, there are efforts both at a political level and among the population to reintroduce it in view of the current security situation. However, concrete decisions have yet to be made. (See: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/video255633694/Was-denkt-Deutschland-Brauchen-wir-wieder-eine-Wehrpflicht.html)
“The current situation in Germany can be described as a mental disorder of the masses.” (Quote from: “Einstein and the bomb” by A. Einstein).
“It is only free people who create inventions and intellectual works that give meaning to life.” (Quote from: “Einstein and the Bomb” by A. Einstein).
Freedom and the freedom of man: “Before the free man do not tremble.” (Quote from: The Words of Faith by Friedrich Schiller).
Freedom is fragmented - it has never been possible worldwide without restrictions, not even today. But if we think a utopia with determination and firmly believe in it, it can become a eutopia - a realized, good utopia. I believe that this is possible.
“How am I supposed to live with myself if I don't stay true to what I believe in?” - Doss asks this question in a conversation with his fiancée while he is in detention awaiting his military trial.
“Having a conviction is no joke, it defines you.” (Quote from: “Hacksaw Ridge - The Decision” by Desmond Doss).
“Those who tolerate or promote evil are a greater threat to the world than those who commit the acts.” (Quote from: “Einstein and the Bomb” by A. Einstein).
“All I want is peace!” (Quote from: “Einstein and the Bomb” by A. Einstein).
Sapere aude!
S. Noir
The link to the original German text: https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/JGM14BoJnB
Appendix: The words of faith by Friedrich Schiller
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