50 Great War Films: The Battle of the Somme and Passchendaele

 In London, on one of our regular weekends staying at the Caledonian Club, I popped over the Thames to visit the Imperial War Museum - something I hadn't done for several years. It was 14th May 1917, and I was off to view Lord Ashcroft's huge collection of V.Cs - all part of my research for a forthcoming booklet on Lieut. Col. Philip Bent. Philip had been awarded a posthumous V.C. as a result of his bravery in the Third Battle of the Somme (otherwise known as Passchendaele). He died at Polygon Wood on 1st October 1917. Exactly one hundred years' later, on Sunday, 1st of October 2017, a service was held behind the War Memorial in Ashby de la Zouch and a memorial paving stone was unveiled by his great-nephew and great-great- nephew. I wrote a booklet on his life and death.

Typically, whilst in the Imperial War Museum, I browsed in its bookshop - and came away with Tim Newark's Fifty Great War Films (Osprey Publishing 2016). Although slightly put off by its cover - I do not rate Peter O'Toole as an actor - it was only £10.00. However, over the next couple of years, I managed to purchase all bar two of the 50 he listed (inevitably, a subjective list with some classics failing to appear).

Osprey Publishing first edition - 2016

Although I watched the first DVD on The Battle of the Somme three years ago, it is only now that I am ready for the long haul.

1916 - Director Geoffrey H. Malins

Released as a feature film, it was a documentary about combat on the Western Front. It was immensely popular, attracting some 20 million cinemagoers in the first six weeks of its release. Criticised by some as propaganda, it does not shy away from scenes of fighting, with plenty of shots (pardon the pun) of dead and wounded on both sides. Although the scenes of 'Going Over The Top' were later recreations, much of the footage was genuine: the massive mine exploding on Hawthorn Ridge; streams of German PoWs; shell shattered trenches; men climbing out of a 40-foot deep shell crater; one wounded soldier being carried back actually died soon after filming. The problem is that, particularly for one who has used footage of trench warfare during his History teaching, one can be both horrified yet detached.

Not so with the next film; not actually one of the Fifty, but bought for the Philip Bent Exhibition at Ashby Museum. It was written, produced and directed by Paul Gross, who also starred as the main character. It was inspired by his real-life relationship with his maternal grandfather, Michael Joseph Dunne, who served in the 56th, 5th, 14th and 23rd Reserve Battalions, CEF, in the Great War. Typically, Dunne rarely talked about his experiences, but did tell his grandson once about bayonetting a young German soldier through the head. This was repeated in the first scene of the film. 

2007 - Director Paul Gross

As of 2009, it was the most expensive film in Canadian history. Sadly for Gross and the backers, it was a commercial failure, as it went on to gross only $4,452,423, well under its $20 million budget. I must admit after the first 40 minutes (apart from the rather claustrophobic beginning, which did look too much like an indoor film set), it was nothing like what I expected, being mainly a love story between Dunne (Paul Gross) and the nurse Sarah (Caroline Dhavernas). However, when we returned to the Western Front for the last half hour or so, it looked very 'real'. War, in fact, in all its horrors. The acting was of a good standard and the rescue by/death of Dunne was convincing. I thought the final shots of the grave in Canada and the horse on the hill a bit too stylised. All in all, a 4*.