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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Spielberg's '1917'


Mark Hone

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45 minutes ago, B EVERTON said:

Must surely be aware that America won both World Wars, the British & French acting as 'back up' in WW1 and the British providing a base for the Yanks to liberate Europe in WW2, or have I been watching the wrong films. I actually toured all the D Day landing beaches/Museums etc last year and could not help but notice that the French fly the Star & Stripes in just about every village in Normandy together with their own flag, can't remember seeing a Union Jack anywhere.

Pershing's boys did a fine job of defeating the German Army in WW1 and I'm sure the new film will confirm how they showed us how it should be done!!!

I for one won't be watching it.

I got speaking to a Frenchman who was, quite literally on a "Busman's holiday." I struck up a conversation with him at the Churchill War Rooms in January 2019.

What he said to me was off the cuff, and so brutally honest. He said to me "It's interesting to come here, and to be reminded of Britain's participation in WW2. I am a tour guide in Normandy, and I take American tourists on historical tours of the beaches. We tend to think of the Americans as the liberators."

As someone commented to me, that may have validity in terms of what is in the living memory of the French population. It could well be the case that Grandpapa remembers <<la libération de ma village par les soldats Américains>>, whereas the British and Commonwealth forces were in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The individual concerned was not nationalistic, nor was he narrow minded.(He wouldn't have been in the CWR if he had those qualities.) I found it enlightening to hear such a viewpoint, and the experiences that had lead to that.

Going back to WW1 and stereotypes, will there be Yanks in the Foreign Legion and the Escadille Lafayette as part of the backstory?

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Dear All,

The US Forces were welcome enough at the time...

One must also bear in mind that US and Canadian loans kept the War financed, which had a lot to do with the US taking over the leadership in Europe and the Pacific from 1944...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited by Kimberley John Lindsay
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Thanks for the reply Keith, I think it would be fair to say having also spoken to many french people that those from the villages would view the liberation differently to those of the large towns or cities, Caen being a classic example, which was bombed to oblivion as the price for 'Liberation' The rights or wrongs of any conflict will be judged by history. The french I spoke to were anxious to point out that the ''Allies'' killed far more french than the occupation forces ever did while accepting it saved the lives of countless liberators. Needs must in war.

As with any conflict around the globe civilians pay the highest price simply by 'getting in the way' Freedom demands a high price as does retribution.

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Given this is not a Skindles topic, we really ought to get back on topic.

 

Oxymoronically, I guess if trench scenes are shot, they will be in 1918. Without wishing to know any script spoilers, has anything been hinted about as to where some of the scenes will be taking place? Belleau Wood? St Mihiel? Hamel?


As an aside, I was very interested to read earlier in the thread about more men of the AEF being killed by influenza than by being in combat.

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Hi,

 

Apparently planning permission has just been granted for the French farm set - link.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edit:

Full application details, etc are available via this link

Edited by clk
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According to Google the film has a budget of $100 and the script has been written by Sam Mendes, (who will also direct) with Krysty Wilson-Cairns who worked with Mendes on the TV series 'Penny Dreadful'. Two British actors have been pencilled in for the lead rolls, George Mackay (Captain Fantastic) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) who will play two brothers caught up in some sort of relationship with a young French girl. Tom Holland (Spider-Man) has also been touted as having some involvement. Universal Pictures are distributing the film and it's release date is shown as December this year. Given Wilson-Cairns involvement this film may be more in the Gothic Horror, supernatural genre rather than a realistic depiction of warfare on the Western Front. 

Edited by ilkley remembers
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31 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

According to Google the film has a budget of $100 and ...

Blimey, and with all those stars as well, for only $100. That's just £76.

 

Which is  a bit  very unfair of me to point out, as it's the sort of mistake I make quite often and which leads to all those unexplained "edits"  that I make. You may wish to clarify the amount: $100 million perhaps?

 

Moonraker

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11 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

two brothers caught up in some sort of relationship with a young French girl

I get it now, it will be an updated Bing Crosby and Bob Hope film like the Road to Morocco... Perhaps not.

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11 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

According to Google the film has a budget of $100 and the script has been written by Sam Mendes, (who will also direct) with Krysty Wilson-Cairns who worked with Mendes on the TV series 'Penny Dreadful'. Two British actors have been pencilled in for the lead rolls, George Mackay (Captain Fantastic) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) who will play two brothers caught up in some sort of relationship with a young French girl. Tom Holland (Spider-Man) has also been touted as having some involvement. Universal Pictures are distributing the film and it's release date is shown as December this year. Given Wilson-Cairns involvement this film may be more in the Gothic Horror, supernatural genre rather than a realistic depiction of warfare on the Western Front. 

 

Well, I've heard of Sam Mendes ...

 

I have to say - that synopsis is not selling it to me.

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13 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

Given this is not a Skindles topic, we really ought to get back on topic.

 

Oxymoronically, I guess if trench scenes are shot, they will be in 1918. Without wishing to know any script spoilers, has anything been hinted about as to where some of the scenes will be taking place? Belleau Wood? St Mihiel? Hamel?


As an aside, I was very interested to read earlier in the thread about more men of the AEF being killed by influenza than by being in combat.

 

A pedantic and picky point here, but this claim doesn’t stand up to scrutiny .

 

US battle fatalities numbered c.53,500 ; there were some 60,000 deaths from all other causes, of which three quarters, or about 45,000, can be attributed to the influenza or related pneumonia .  Many of these deaths occurred at home, and a large part of them after the Armistice .

 

If we confine the analysis to the actual period of intense US engagement in battle - from May 1918 to the Armistice - and to the actual theatre of operations on the Western Front, the US  combat deaths would very largely exceed deaths from the ‘flu.

 

The sixty thousand non battle deaths included a surprisingly large number from accidents : young men are accident prone, soldiers especially so, and, it would appear, American soldiers even more so.

 

Phil

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On 21/03/2019 at 23:33, stripeyman said:

Perhaps '1917' is a code word for the film and it would have a proper title before release ?

 

There has been talk of two leading men, a woman, a French farmhouse, and aviation has been alluded to. It triggered memories of the second worst film that I have ever seen.

Could this be a reboot of "Biggles - the movie" albeit with the main protagonists as members of the US Aviation corps?

The worst film that I have ever seen is "Surf Nazis must die". Weirdly, it does have some historical accuracy, but it's two hours of my life that I will never get back.

PS Thanks to Chris (CLK) for the link. I did not understand why archaeologists would be involved in a film. The penny then dropped that, as per the article 'building work could damage historical areas' when the digging of the structure's foundations are dug up.

I guess it's similar for brownfield sites too, thinking of the archaeological activity that has gone on in the extensively redeveloped Square Mile. On the subject of brownfield sites, it still amazes me that Full Metal Jacket was filmed on a brownfield site. As I understand it, it was Royal Victoria Dock, not a million miles away from Guest's stomping ground. 

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A bizarre concept, but I'll think wait to find out what the film is actually about and if Its of interest, go see it and then make my own mind up as to whether I like it or not !

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On 22/03/2019 at 09:28, Keith_history_buff said:



I guess it's similar for brownfield sites too, thinking of the archaeological activity that has gone on in the extensively redeveloped Square Mile. On the subject of brownfield sites, it still amazes me that Full Metal Jacket was filmed on a brownfield site. As I understand it, it was Royal Victoria Dock, not a million miles away from Guest's stomping ground. 

 

Part of Full Metal Jacket (the bits set at Boot Camp) were filmed at Bassingbourn Barracks, near Cambridge, where I spent a couple of enjoyable TA NCO Cadre weekends. It led to some splendid continuity howlers - all the road markings were on the left hand side of the road, not the right as they would be in the US.

On 22/03/2019 at 11:19, Chris Foster said:

A bizarre concept, but I'll think wait to find out what the film is actually about and if Its of interest, go see it and then make my own mind up as to whether I like it or not !

 

And, to be honest, the concept is pure surmise at this stage. Personally I'm hoping for a remake of Carry on Sergeant.

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The action sequences of Full Metal Jacket were filmed at the derelict Beckton Gas Works in the heart of downtown West Ham.

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11 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

 

Well, I've heard of Sam Mendes ...

 

I have to say - that synopsis is not selling it to me.

 

I remember his brother Sergio.

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2 hours ago, Don Regiano said:

 

I remember his brother Sergio.

 

I've heard of the Goat of Mendes, makes a brief appearance in 'The Devil Rides Out'.

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On 13/02/2019 at 17:45, T8HANTS said:

I presume the usual upper class bully, against the lower class, rising through the ranks, possibly gay earnest chap, who has bit of flunk and is branded the squadron coward.  He is then redeemed by a transferred in hot shot (big star) American, who later shoots down the Red Barron, who has just shot down both upper class bully and heroic young lad, moments after he proved himself after all.  Roll credits America has won again over both ineffectual Brits and dastardly Hun.

 

But wasn't that Snoopy..?. :blush:

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5 minutes ago, MikB said:

Snoopy

 

5 minutes ago, MikB said:

Red Barron

10cc?

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Am I the only one to think "why now???" the Centenary hype is over... one would think that Mr Spielberg is the kind of man who's want to jump on that bandwagon when he had the time, no???

I'll see what the previews say before deciding if I want to see that movie. believe it or not... I dont' like war movies...

 

M.

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  • 1 month later...

It appears that further filming is being carried out at the old Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire.

http://www.bovingdon.org/village/?p=1363

Today, I drove up to the old airfield for a sly peek, and I could just make out some barbed wire and what I presumed to be trenches (there was a digger on site).

I like Sam Mendes as a director, but if that synopsis is correct, I might give '1917' a swerve and wait for it to be shown on TV.

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There are admittedly numerous Hollywood films starring British actors playing Americans but the cast listed on the IMDB does suggest that 1917 will be about the British. As well as all the actors that I have heard of being British, there are four listed as playing 'British soldier' and one of the few named characters is a Private Atkins.

 

 

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36 minutes ago, Gibbo said:

Private Atkins

Might know him, was his first name "Tommy"? :whistle:

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3 hours ago, Gibbo said:

There are admittedly numerous Hollywood films starring British actors playing Americans but the cast listed on the IMDB does suggest that 1917 will be about the British. As well as all the actors that I have heard of being British, there are four listed as playing 'British soldier' and one of the few named characters is a Private Atkins.

 

 

 

Well, I've heard of Colin Firth and Benjamin Trumpersnatch so that's a start.

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All I know is that the production company's props van is driven by a right royal ****.

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