David_Blanchard Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Grand Illusion (1937) by Renoir and Kubrik's Paths of Glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QMan9193 Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 IMHO we are still waiting for the definative WW1 film. Plenty of good actors and directors- Come on Minghella sort it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 IMHO we are still waiting for the definative WW1 film. Plenty of good actors and directors- Come on Minghella sort it out! I think the problem with this is that the perception by most of the public as to how and why the war was fought is markedly different from how many of us would percieve it to be. Thus a war film along the lines of a 'Saving Private Ryan' would only inforce the Butchers and bunglers syndrome and potentially do more harm than good. By example I would not trust Oliver stone to do it whilst a good film director, and able to make a good film as he did in 'JFK', is also prone to taking liberties with the truth. I like a dumb idiot took much of what he protrayed in the film 'JFK' as truth and recently learnt that it was not. The kind of film that would potentially give the correct 'feel' would not collect the pounds/dollars at the box office. IMO That said i would like to see someone give it a go. Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest woodyudet Posted 11 July , 2004 Share Posted 11 July , 2004 I don't think there are any particularly good films about WW1. There's nothing that compares with 'A Bridge too Far' for example. Lawrence of Arabia is one of my favourite films, but its 'WW1 credentials' are a bit dodgy to say the least. The rest of the film is fantastic. Most of the modern WW1 films [since 1980] have been awful. All of the British officers are charactured as Public School toffs who are either a: effete, b: bigoted or c: cowards. While some no doubt were, this is a gross insult. Also, a significant proportion of officers were promoted from the ranks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tartan87terror Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 IMHO we are still waiting for the definative WW1 film. Plenty of good actors and directors- Come on Minghella sort it out! I think the problem with this is that the perception by most of the public as to how and why the war was fought is markedly different from how many of us would percieve it to be. Thus a war film along the lines of a 'Saving Private Ryan' would only inforce the Butchers and bunglers syndrome and potentially do more harm than good. By example I would not trust Oliver stone to do it whilst a good film director, and able to make a good film as he did in 'JFK', is also prone to taking liberties with the truth. I like a dumb idiot took much of what he protrayed in the film 'JFK' as truth and recently learnt that it was not. The kind of film that would potentially give the correct 'feel' would not collect the pounds/dollars at the box office. IMO That said i would like to see someone give it a go. Arm. By mistaking The Neglected Warby A. J. Barker to be about Salonika, which I'm researching, I am now deeply engrossed in reading about this story of Mesopotamian theatre. Here is a book that begs to be used for a screenscript for a WW1 film, surely! As a wannabe screenwriter, I'd jump at a chance to work on it, as part of a small team of writers. What does anyone know of the copyrights situation on this book? What is known about A. J. Barker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AmericanDoughboy Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is an incredible film which focuses upon the French mutinies of the First World War during The Battle of Verdun. Not only is the story and script astonishing, but Kirk Douglas' performance makes it a must-see. -Doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is an incredible film which focuses upon the French mutinies of the First World War during The Battle of Verdun. Actually the film doesn`t really tell where and when. In the beginning year 1916 is mentioned, but nothing else refers to Verdun (could happen almost anywhere). At least I`ve never come across with place called the "Anthill" (somebody got any more information on this?). And it`s also not about mutinies, but soldiers unable to fullfill their impossible task, there for three of them sentenced to death by unfair court martial. The Kubrick`s anti-war film is about officers miss-using (is that the right word?) their status. Also the regiment (7-- what was it?) is also fictional (according to my understanding). Anyway the film is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AmericanDoughboy Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Landsturm, The book "The Paths of Glory" is based upon a 1935 novel by Humphrey Cobb with the same name (Paths of Glory). The so-called impregnable fortress "Anthill" was based upon the Battle of Verdun, and the book is said to be taken place during the Verdun campaign of 1916. Cobb based his novel on the real story of five French soldiers who were unfairly trialed and condemned to death during the Battle of Verdun, 1916. Also, when I speak of mutinies, I am speaking of the mutinies of Kirk Douglas' character Colonel Dax and of the other men who refused to execute (or have executed) the three soldiers who were condemned to death due to an accusation of 'cowardice in front of the enemy'. I hope that made sense, I am not a very good writer this evening. -Doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landsturm Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Thank you for clearing that up and for extra information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AmericanDoughboy Posted 8 August , 2004 Share Posted 8 August , 2004 Thank you for clearing that up and for extra information Landsturm, My pleasure Speaking of which, if anyone is interested, "Paths of Glory" is on Turner Classic Movies (USA) at 6:30 PM EST, August 31st. -Doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telaw Posted 15 August , 2004 Share Posted 15 August , 2004 An excellet mini-series about an Australian unit was "Anzacs" which starred Paul Hogan (in which he actually acts. The action took place in Gallipoli and France and had some well-filmed battle scenes. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2ndbattle Posted 15 August , 2004 Share Posted 15 August , 2004 I havent watched any WW1 movies, I am wondering, are there any recent ones I could get at a video store? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest woodyudet Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 Probably not! Frankly WWI movies are generally poor either historically or artistically. Paths of Glory and Lawrence of Arabia are excellent cinema, but they do lack something from the historical perspective. The Blue Max is very entertaining if fictional and cliched Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AmericanDoughboy Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 The Italian film "The Girl and the General" was very entertaining. It relies on the viewer to have imagination and sensitivity, however. -Doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMG65 Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 A film I would recommend to all to watch is 'A Month In The Country'. It was made in 1989 and stars Kenneth Branagh and Colin Firth. It is about two men working in a Yorkshire village after the Great War and it shows how the war has affected them and how they slowly rehabilitate into civilian life. The book is good as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cdt Posted 7 September , 2004 Share Posted 7 September , 2004 A more or less new movie I saw last week was "The lost batalion" (2001). Very good picture about a true 'story' during the US attack in the Argonne wood. Film by Russel Mulcahy and starring Rick Schroder as Major Whittlesey (CMH). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 29 September , 2004 Share Posted 29 September , 2004 A more or less new movie I saw last week was "The lost batalion" (2001). Very good picture about a true 'story' during the US attack in the Argonne wood. Film by Russel Mulcahy and starring Rick Schroder as Major Whittlesey (CMH). I just saw "The lost batalion" (2001) on DVD yesterday and enjoyed watching an earlier version of the "Band of Brothers" but now in the Argonne 1918. Are any of the earlier mentioned films in this thread on DVD, any REGION. Does anybody know of WW1 films that are to be released on DVD. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 29 September , 2004 Share Posted 29 September , 2004 Ive watched All Quiet On The Western Front so many times-what can I say - I watched it my grandad who was an Old Contempible & he said it was just close to the truch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 29 September , 2004 Share Posted 29 September , 2004 Second Lieutenant Group: Members Posts: 85 Member No.: 3,855 Joined: 12-August 04 An excellet mini-series about an Australian unit was "Anzacs" which starred Paul Hogan (in which he actually acts. The action took place in Gallipoli and France and had some well-filmed battle scenes. That was an excellent All The Best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie Posted 9 October , 2004 Share Posted 9 October , 2004 I havent watched any WW1 movies, I am wondering, are there any recent ones I could get at a video store? Did anyone recommend "Gallipoli"? Aussie film 1981 - Mel Gibson. Gallipoli (1981) is a powerful account of the lives of young men and their families in rural Western Australia prior to and after enlisting in the light horse and infantry during World War I. Directed by Peter Weir, with a screenplay by David Williamson, it stars Mel Gibson. The climax of the movie occurs on the Anzac battlefield at Gallipoli and depicts the ill-fated attack at the Nek on the morning of the August 7, 1915 by the 8th (Victorian) and 10th (Western Australian) Light Horse Regiments of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 9 October , 2004 Share Posted 9 October , 2004 Lots of people knock it but I could watch 'The Trench' with the young fella out of Eastenders again. But my main point - 'Kagemusha' was on Nat. Geog. Channel today. The climactic scene has so many WW1 nuances ... it's unreal. Samurai charging entrenched fortifications with cold steel, only to be wiped out by gunpowder weapons. The rest of it was a msytery to me, but the film craft and the battle scenes were breath-taking. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarchetta Posted 10 October , 2004 Share Posted 10 October , 2004 I have to agree with Des. I'm not sure what people mean by 'tosh' - it was low budget, a little sentimental perhaps and (I'm no expert) probably riddled with inaccuracies, but 'geeky' inaccuracies aside (does it really matter if they were wearing Mark 17.4 v2 helmets when they should have been v1 in that part of the line on a Wednesday ??) it captured the atmosphere and anything modern which does that, bringing the war to a new generation of viewers can't be simply dismissed as 'tosh', surely ?? Are people here only really going to be happy with an authentic, minute by minute, re-enactment of a particular week in a particular trench ? Doesn't sound like good cinema to me...!! Artistic licence and the 'Private Ryan'-isation of war is not necessarily a bad thing - everyone on this Forum has accepted that the first twenty minutes of that film have come fairly close to capturing on screen the feeling of being immersed in that action. Without the American triumphalism of the film as a whole, no-one would have stumped up the money for the beach scene - you could consider it a fair trade !! Coming back to WW1 then, how do you think this pitch would go down: Scene 1: About an hour or so of people sitting around a trench, sentry duty, few flares etc, general filth. Couple of rifle grenades, few sniper bullets hitting the parapet etc. Scene 2: About an hour or so of people crouched trembling in a dug-out with an almighty racket going on incessently outside. Scene 3: The twenty minute 'beach scene' Scene 4: See scene 1... And not an Orange phone in sight, don't think it would get picked up, somehow. So, in order for films to get made they have to have a good story, but the real stories are a bit too disjointed, or short, or have pretty depressing endings, so they add a bit of fiction. The feeling remains, but they aren't a documentary, no. Having said that, I still think it is about time Hollywood made a WW1 Private Ryan (even if we do have to bite our tongues when the US army wins the war for us). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bonza Posted 10 October , 2004 Share Posted 10 October , 2004 G'day Red There is a doco "Hollywood goes to War" narrated by James Mason which may be of interest. Have not seen the Trench, but agree entirely with your thoughts. Films have to recoup their expenses. If the old "Picture tells a thousand words, how much reading does a Feature length movie save us. You can read the specifications of military equipment etc, without being able to visualise them. If the film makers DO push one particular "interpretation" we don't have to take it for Gospel. ooRoo Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Suite B Meadery Posted 17 October , 2004 Share Posted 17 October , 2004 Do the CEF expeditions to Russia in 1919 count in the scheme of the Great War Forum. If so I suggest Atom Egoyan's "Arkangel" which was shot to look as though made in the Great War silent-film era. It deals with a shell-shocked Canadian soldier suffering from amnesia lost after the CEF invasion of Northern Russia in 1919 and taken in by a local woman and community. This film pointed me to a very unique piece of Canadian military history. I heard it said the Canadians raised our flag for the first time but were made to take it down in favour of the union jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 17 October , 2004 Share Posted 17 October , 2004 I can just see it now ... a Mel-Movie about WWI ... the problem comes in that it would HAVE to be anti-war ... If one was watching the History channel yesterday they had John McCain - a well respected American - talking about the film Paths of Glory - THAT is the view most Americans have of WWI ... add the historical nonsense Mel and (Hollywood of his ilk) has in his movies and we'd go backwards in terms of respect and understanding! This past week, they had Sgt York and Dawn Patrol back to back on TCM ... didn't get much sleep that night. A modern movie about WWI would be hard to work into something profitable ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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