Forgive me bypassing the movies thread.
I've just got back from seeing this film, it's quite the most incredible piece of drama I've ever seen. We all know in our heads how truly awful the Great War was and all war is but after seeing this you will know it in your hearts. A very powerful and moving film.
It's not an enjoyable evening but I don't regret going and I may take myself for a second viewing.
I saw this on Thursday and agree it's an amazing piece of work.
Recommended to anyone as a must see imho.
A most excellent film and a benchmark for capturing an important piece of our collective history. I was a little distracted by the fact that the two main characters both had wrist watches at a time when (I believe) only a privileged few would have had the benefit of such an innovation.
I noticed one of them in a gold cased wristwatch with a leather strap. It looked out of place. I suppose it's a minor but even from the trailer it stuck out like a sore thumbOriginally Posted by Gurmot
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No one mentioned another (anti-) war film 'JoJo Rabbit' which came out around the same time as 1917. It's very difficult to be extremely funny and quite profound around WWII issues but this film manages it with style and substance. If you read the plot line it sounds very stupid but i was very impressive with the leads and the script is brilliant. Very entertaining and thought provoking..
I'd very much like to see an historically accurate film made about the opening part of the Great War (WW1), i.e. the famous battle of Mons and subsequent 'race for the coast'. A very different view of the war before trenches were largely 'sunk'.
Not long ago, I was reading about my great grandfather in a regimental war diary and who was part of these as a professional soldier. Interesting, (given current 'debates') he fought alongside another regiment several times that was from the North West Frontier who were renowned fighters.
Mons has a dedicated Great War museum and the canal (and bridge) where the BEF held off vastly larger forces and saw the action that was awarded the first VC of WW1 remains.
The British Embassy leaves a wreath there on anniversaries. Last time I went it was still serenely there.
My son (17) saw it last week and very much enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing it myself.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
See:
...and later posts in that thread.
Or the usual issue of everyone has perfect teeth!
Went to the cinema this afternoon.
Epic piece of cinematography for all the reasons mentioned below Sam Mendes has really done well on this one.
The point below about the trench watches in the opening scene I had the same thoughts. I thought only officers would have worn a watch.
In 1917 a wrist watch would have been an expensive bit of kit.
Looking forward to this.
I’m going tonight- looking forward to it.
So clever my foot fell off.
Cant wait, getting the sound bars out for this one
As Mark Kermode has said "See it on the biggest possible screen. Don't wait for the DVD to come out".
I hadn't released but there is an IMAX version.
For reference, see the end of the best out on The Film Review at 8m 50s.
It was a good film but for me I felt it came across like a series of scripted set pieces which meant I couldn't identify or resonate with the characters. It felt a bit contrived even though it was a thrilling watch it just came across to me a bit like a call of duty video game. But for sure it is a great watch and very thrilling with some real heart-in-mouth moments - it just felt a bit 'on rails' for my liking.
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I suspected this seeing the trailers and promo stuff. I'll still pop along though.
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My grandfather volunteered in 1914 at the age of 14 years. He was put into the "suicide squad" (machine gun corps) and didn't tell any of his experiences until he was in his late 70's. I then understood why he spent much of his spare time in the garden and never watched "War" films. He was gassed twice and still smoked until his 75th birthday (not pleasant to listen to)! The sight of anyone in a Salvation Army uniform would bring him to tears as they were always the first people to meet the soldiers after a "stint" at the front offering mugs of hot soup and clean, dry socks. His lung "disease" took him in the end. I can still remember his long stares into the fireplace with tears rolling down his cheeks. Such a waste of life. RIP grandad and his "Pals".
I'll don a Brodie steel helmet and also take a dissenting view.
I saw it at the IMAX in Kingston. It's a gripping action drama and worth seeing for that. Long scenes, based over a short time period make it a very interesting film.
However, that's it. In my opinion, the story line was unconvincing. The acting stereotyped. The main actors, a bit too clean shaven and scrubbed up, and in one case a little too well fed to be convincing.
Parts of the film centre around tracking down a Yorkshire and then a Devonshire battalion. I might have missed it, but I don't recall hearing a northern or south western accent. Too hard for target audiences to understand?
A good film, worth watching, but it didn't enlighten me about the First World War. I've become quite interested in the First World War, primarily for family reasons. Finding out more from having inherited my grandfather's Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, a great uncle's (well boy soldier) death scroll and another great uncle's Dead Man's Penny. Of no particular relevance, Sam Mendes dedicated the film to his grandfather who was in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, so was mine and was shot in the head in 1916 and surprisingly survived.
^^^^^
I have to agree with much of the criticism above that people have levelled at the film. It's magnificent if you can get past the flaws. i went to see it based on a 4* review that I think was deserved for the effort, concept and final result.
It may be that what they could do to soldiers in WW1 far exceeds what they're allowed to do to actors today. They Shall Not Grow Old taught me that a soldiers time was spent between the front line and periods of relative tranquility behind the lines. Also that the action was intermittent with long period of nothing much happening at all...except for snipers, the possibility of being attacked and dealing with interminable mud and the military hierarchy. The film tries to reflect all of those but I feel that I'd have to multiply the impressions it gave me by about 5 times to get anywhere close to what it was actually like. But maybe I'm just not very impressionable?
Staggering , us later generations just don't have a clue do we ? That was thought provoking to read to say the least
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Last edited by bond; 19th January 2020 at 14:04.
We shouldn't just remember the "fallen". We will remember all of them. Many of them went away boys and came back broken men. It's still happening too. Support those who serve and those who have served for our freedom.
They shall not grow old by Peter Jackson added voices to these young men and instead of it being jumpy vague pictures from 100+ years ago, they were all real.
First world war in colour covered all the protagonists and made it seem like they all knew they going to war but didn't know why???
Thank you Ryan and PickleB for ths info - most interesting!
I was very much under the misapprehension that prediliction for this rather tasteless bird was a relatively recent marketing thing.
So clever my foot fell off.
I’m glad it wasn’t just me who feels like some of you here. Went in with very high expectations and was quite disappointed. Didn’t really feel emotionally involved with the characters at all.
A fantastic technical achievement, and beautifully shot, but it left me pretty cold. In fact, I felt very much the same about Dunkirk.
What war films do you guys rate?
Das Boot in German
They Shall Not Grow Old
Paths of Glory
All Quiet on the Western Front
Come and See
Battle of Algiers
Land and Freedom
Kajaki of the more recent ones
84 Charlie MoPic
South Pacific ( There ain’t nothing like a dame.....)
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 18th January 2020 at 22:32.
Yet to see it, however it will have to go some to better All Quiet of the Westen Front (Original version).
Favorite War Films in no particular order.
Full metal Jacket
Saving Private Ryan
Apocalypse Now
Castle Keep
A Bridge To Far
Platoon
Patton
Ice Cold in Alex
The Longest Day
Battle of the Bulge
The entire Band of Brothers series.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Band of brothers the best thing I've ever watched. Absolutely fantastic TV.
This.
I can’t believe it is very nearly 20 years old. May have to fish out the blu-ray to mark the occasion!
The Pacific was also very good, although not recieved half as well as BOB. Upon repeated viewings though, it is almost just as great.
I recall seeing a teaser trailer YEARS ago for a 3rd instalment by Spielberg and Tom Hanks, all about the Eighth Air Force, but have heard very little since.
Some other good suggestions as well. Any love for The Thin Red Line? I’d take that over SPR any day of the week. Not to diminish Saving Private Ryan, that too is a truly brilliant piece of cinema.
No problems with that list Andy. They're all good / great films and most tend to the action genre. Borrowing from someone else's post I'd like to recommend two other films with a more narrative approach: Das Boot (in German with English subtitles) and Come and See. I'm pretty sure that you'll have seen the former, but I'm not so sure about the latter. I saw Idi i smotri in the cinema and it was an experience comparable with seeing Schindler's List 10+ years later. Schindler's List I saw one afternoon in an almost empty central London cinema. It was a very emotional experience. Both are films that i would recommend seeing on a big screen, hopefully without crisp munching, cellophane wrapper opening viewers anywhere near your seat. A small screen simply doesn't do justice to the scenes they are portraying...just as with 1917, IMO.
Das boot (in German) was excellent, however the question was my Favorite Film and it didn't make the list
along with
The Sand Pebbles
Lawrence of Arabia
Bridge Over the River Kwai
Merry Christmas Mr Lawerence
The Blue Max
Glory
Run Silent Run Deep
The Cruel Sea
Gallipoli
The 663 Squadron
The Dam Busters
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamers
Captain Corellis Mandolin
Casablanca
and so on.
I will check out Come and See.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In recent years the only other war film I would to that list is Hacksaw Ridge.
I enjoyed Dunkirk but it wasn’t an epic like Saving Private Ryan. I think had I not watched Dunkirk at the cinema it would have been disappointing
Where eagles dare
Paths of glory
Kelly's heroes
Platoon
Full metal jacket
Saving private Ryan
Hell in the Pacific
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This is essentially the exact same thing I was going to post having been to see it last night.
It’s a brave attempt, but at the end of the day the major flaw at the centre of the film is its concept - due to the extremely minimal narrative and tiny number of characters who you learn very little about, it lacks the essential prerequisite for any great movie - you have to become emotionally invested in the characters and the story.
I wasn’t, and that’s a shame.
So clever my foot fell off.
This. Admired the ‘one shot’ achievement but the leads were weak. If you see a clip with Cumberwomble and also Firth, well you’ve seen their full role.
My sentiments exactly. Funny, I too felt the same about Dunkirk.
Still glad I went to see 1917. It was entertaining.
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A film i'm looking forward to seeing , soon hopefully .
The mud took a lot of guys.
https://www.cbc.ca/archives/the-murd...ield-1.4793731
Last edited by Passenger; 21st January 2020 at 21:56.
Fascinating to hear of some posters’’ family connections with WW1. I have mixed feelings in this respect. My great-uncle fought in WW1 and died as a result of his participation, about 10 years after the war ended. He was a gifted amateur artist and left behind a notebook with many drawings, mainly of places where he was stationed rather than military subjects.
However he was a chemist by training and was in the British Army unit responsible for chemical warfare. We even have some photos taken from an observation balloon he was in over the battlefield, presumably planning the next attack.
He died of a lung disease. I’m not sure of the details but I suppose handling all that gas was the cause.
I guess he was just one of millions doing their duty and I don’t judge him for that, but most WW1 reminiscing is rightly about the poor sods in the trenches and he doesn’t quite fit into that narrative, in fact he must have caused a lot of misery.
I haven’t seen 1917. It sounds both moving but also very modern. I think I am at an age where I find a bleak look on the face of Alec Guinness much more moving than any amount of modern cinematic wizardry.
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