Two Soldiers is a 2003 short film (just barely—it gets under the AMPAS 40-minute "short film" mark by about 15 seconds) directed by Aaron Schneider.
Rural Mississippi, 1941. Pete and Willie are brothers. Despite the age difference, Willie being nine and Pete being about a decade older, they are close as close can be. An innocent country life of farming and collecting bird eggs is interrupted by news bulletins reporting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Pete immediately decides to enlist, despite the fact that as a farm worker he doesn't have to. He bids Willie goodbye, but Willie decides that he's going to go to war with his big brother. A difficult journey to the induction center in Memphis eventually has Willie crossing paths with a kindly Army colonel (Ron Perlman), who helps him in his quest.
Based on a short story by William Faulkner.
Tropes:
- Call-Back:
- Pete tells Willie that the shikepoke bird finds its way back to its old nest by "instinct". At the end, he says the same thing to tell Willie that he'll make it home from the war.
- As the brothers listen to a football game on the radio Willie wonders if a "pigskin" is really made out of pigskin and whether they could make their own after pig slaughtering is done. Later, he notices a football on Col. McKellog's bookshelf.
- Cock-a-Doodle Dawn: A rooster crowing marks the early dawn and also the rural setting as Pete's mom packs his bag, on the morning that Pete is catching the bus to go off to the army.
- The Determinator: How determined is Willie to see his brother? He walks thirty miles to the bus depot. No really, how determined is he? He pulls a knife on the store clerk that tries to stop him, and does the same with an uncooperative Army lieutenant.
- Down on the Farm: The family farm, which doesn't appear to be thriving. When Pete's father says that he could fall behind if Pete leaves, Pete says "You've been behind all your life."
- Face Framed in Shadow: Pete's face is half in shadow and half lit by a single candle as he tells Willie that Willie can have his whole bird egg collection. Pete has decided to join the army and go off to war.
- Named by the Adaptation: In the Faulkner short story, the boy, who is the narrator, isn't named.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Ends with a shot of Willie on Pete's shoulders as they walk away.
- Perfumigation: The sheriff calls a matronly lady to take charge of Willie. The matronly lady notes that Willie is sporting some impressive body odor and wonders that the sheriff can't smell it himself. The sheriff shoots back with "Whatever it is you're wearing, ma'am, kind of drowns it out."
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Col. McKellog (Perlman), who really does go the extra mile. He lets it pass when Willie winds up slicing the lieutenant's hand during a struggle, and he has the lieutenant fetch Pete and bring him back to the depot so the brothers can have a farewell.
- The Stinger: Willie is a fan of the Lone Ranger radio show. At the very end of the credits we hear "The story you have just heard is a copyrighted feature of The Lone Ranger, Inc."
- Stock Footage: Stock audio clips, of The Lone Ranger, a football game, Pearl Harbor bulletins, and FDR's "date which will live in infamy" address to Congress.
- We Interrupt This Program: "We interrupt this broadcast" as a radio bulletin reports the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
