In 2025, when the film, Enzo, was released,
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine was still in progress before being
overshadowed in the media by fresh American and Israeli military attacks in
Iran. The film distinguishes the respective attitudes of two Ukrainian
construction workers in the E.U. state of France regarding whether to return to
Ukraine to join the army. This contrast implies that patriotism, and, moreover,
duty, is a weak force in human nature, even when a citizen’s country
is in serious, existential trouble in being invaded by an empire-scale military
aggressor.
The full essay is at "Enzo."
