Bud's Recruit

Mrs Gilbert has two sons. The younger, Bud, wants to help fight in World War I. He enthusiastically joins a local youth militia, which uses a scarecrow dubbed “the Kizer” as a stand-in for the enemy, Emperor William II. Older brother Reggie, however, has no interest in the military. Emboldened by their mother, a pacifist agitator, Reggie pursues his own pleasures, while his younger brother observes “meatless Monday” and rehearses battle manoeuvres with their manservant. But then the younger boy comes up with a splendid idea for turning his slacker brother into a war volunteer. (Berlinale)