The movie describes the relationship between French officers and a German officer during the World War I.  The most characteristic technique in this movie is the technical use of camerawork.  First, the long camerawork is used in almost all of the scenes that French officers who were taken prisoners interact with each other in the prison.  Although there were one high-ranking officer and commissioned officers promoted from the ranks in the group, the conflict among them due to the difference of the rank was never appeared.  I think their affinity was assisted by using long cut.  On the other hand, the scene that two officers who had the same background in terms of the elite track talked with each other about the future of the social system after the war, the different scope was promoted by the fast switch of cuts.  Overall, the contrast or sympathy of their ideas is designed by effective use of cuts and implicitly tells audience their feelings or thoughts.  Furthermore, English is used as the language when two elite officers talked to each other although the scene is set in France.  Because English was supposed to be a common language among the elite class, the German elite officer who wanted to keep his class started to speak with English to contrast the difference between them and the officers of lower class.  The use of English is seemed to be a strange at a glance, but audiences can get the point of their situation.