The Stapler Soldier In Zero Motivation

Whether in an office or on the battlefield, war manifests itself in similar patterns despite the environment and combatants. Zero Motivation explores this idea of war being a perpetual and omniscient entity by examining the lives of Israeli female soldiers. Throughout the film, the viewer never truly sees a war occurring, but there are scenes to clarify to the viewer that a war in some shape is happening. For instance, when one of the main characters, Daffi, becomes an officer and laments her assignment, she is told “There’s a war on, get a grip” and how the “soldiers are getting killed” while she is crying. In addition, there is another scene where Zohar walks past multiple posters that are about the wars in Israel’s history. Through the vague
The most obvious comparison is seen in the stapler gun when it is hailed as “the most precious thing in [the office]”. While the introduction of the gun seems to be for comedic purposes, the battle scene illuminates the true purpose of the stapler gun as a means of creating a comparison between the fight and war. At one point in the scene, the viewer is able to see a shot of the whole office, in which both women are shooting the stapler gun and immediately ducking in a routine fashion. While seemingly comical due to the scene’s facetious nature, the choreography and set design perfectly mirror stereotypical gun fight scenes. Strategy is absent from the battle and the soldiers are simply shooting and avoiding the “bullets”. During the fight scene between the two women, it can be seen that the stapler gun not easily accessible. The tool is tucked away behind documents at the bottom of a drawer, and at one point in the scene, there is a further comparison to war through the “promo-ammo” hidden away in the same drawer as the stapler guns. Having the supply of staples being hidden in the same area as the guns further emphasizes the similarity to a battlefield with its weapons and ammo in a secure and concentrated area and many obstacles to block gunfire from the enemy. By having common