The subject of war has been portrayed in a multitude of texts over many years, as it has issues that seem to re-occur and still stay relevant to our ever-changing society.
             Two common forms of presenting such issues are through film and narrative, like in the film "Born on the 4th of July" and in the John Hersey biographical narrative "Hiroshima", which both convey the issue of the casualties of war.
             These texts convey this issue using techniques such as dramatic camera movements, the characters and their relationships with each other, and dramatic music and sound effects.
             A big factor in creating different moods for different scenes is the sounds and music.
             During the opening scene of the film we get a good view of what life was like before the war had started and even before the main character, Ron Kovic, had grown up. The music in the background and the slow motion of the characters give us a warm feeling of nostalgia, and the voice over from Kovic makes it more personal for the audience, like Kovic is talking directly to us. It shows the audience how "normal" and wonderful life was.
             Then the music suddenly changes when Kovic and his family are watching the WW2 veterans in the parade. Again, the use of music combined with slow motion gives a dramatic effect, but a completely opposite one to that of the opening scene, in which a feeling of euphoria was established.
             This time, it is a feeling of fear as it highlights the casualties of war. The soldiers with missing limbs stare coldly at Kovic as they flinch nervously at the firecrackers. The same music and nervous flinching is seen again later in the film when Kovic is in his own veteran's parade.
             Other scenes that use music and sound effects to dramatise a situation are those repeated "shell shock" scenes in which Kovic experiences flash backs from Vietnam. Sounds of helicopters, gunfire and babies crying drown out the other ...