Marines Firing In Rank

Before the firing squad: a group of young marines aim their rifles at the camera during a drill.

A group of young marines aim their rifles at the camera, a trope curtailed when films went before the censor and such direct expression of potential violence was deemed inappropriate. Censorship aside, it is easy to see why images such as this would be so appealing to cinemagoers. How else can one put oneself safely in front of a firing squad?