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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Spielberg's '1917'


Mark Hone

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My favourite film is Zulu. Indeed it is a great film, but far from historically accurate. I also enjoy many WW2 films, few of which would claim historical accuracy. A film is a film. I suspect that 1917 is the same, but I doubt I will watch it as many times as I have watched Zulu and I doubt whether I will ever be able to quote chunks of it verbatim. 

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40 minutes ago, keithfazzani said:

My favourite film is Zulu. Indeed it is a great film, but far from historically accurate. I also enjoy many WW2 films, few of which would claim historical accuracy. A film is a film. I suspect that 1917 is the same, but I doubt I will watch it as many times as I have watched Zulu and I doubt whether I will ever be able to quote chunks of it verbatim. 

 

The son of my mate from Holland watched ZULU 17 times...Stil trying to get my own boys interested...

Edited by trajan
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This film has been on release in the States for nearly two weeks. Have none of our members from across the Pond seen it? Let’s have your thoughts.

 

Cheers Martin B

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The film was on very limited release in the US just to make it qualify for 2020 awards. It opens here in San Diego for general release on Friday the tenth. 

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2 hours ago, trajan said:

 

The son of my mate from Holland watched ZULU 17 times...Stil trying to get my own boys interested...

 

Keep trying, they'll thank you in the end!

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2 hours ago, keithfazzani said:

My favourite film is Zulu. Indeed it is a great film, but far from historically accurate. I also enjoy many WW2 films, few of which would claim historical accuracy. A film is a film. I suspect that 1917 is the same, but I doubt I will watch it as many times as I have watched Zulu and I doubt whether I will ever be able to quote chunks of it verbatim. 

That's a very good observation, and I will keep it in mind when 1917 hoves into view locally. 

 

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On 04/01/2020 at 09:40, MikeyH said:

 ....ensure that details were 'absolutely right'.  In a large colour trench photo a pair of rubber soled boots can be seen.  I am still looking

forward to seeing it.

 

Mike.

I'm glad it just wasn't me who saw that immediately -- the best version was in the Guardian above a headline saying how important it was to get the details right -- down to the hobnails!

SEE HERE

 

And I'm still looking forward to it too....

Chris

1 hour ago, Martin Bennitt said:

This film has been on release in the States for nearly two weeks. Have none of our members from across the Pond seen it? Let’s have your thoughts.

 

Cheers Martin B

Not anywhere near me until next week when I will have no time at all.... gggrrrrrr.

Chris

 

Edit -- oh just checked - opens on THURS close by so I will try and see it then before the Semester starts!

Edited by 4thGordons
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2 hours ago, trajan said:

 

The son of my mate from Holland watched ZULU 17 times...Stil trying to get my own boys interested...

My youngest lad watched it EVERY day, sometimes more than once, in full repro kit, from behind a sofa piled with cushions. 

 He is Welsh! 

Edited by GWF1967
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2 hours ago, 4thGordons said:

I'm glad it just wasn't me who saw that immediately -- the best version was in the Guardian above a headline saying how important it was to get the details right -- down to the hobnails!

SEE HERE

 

And I'm still looking forward to it too....

Chris

Not anywhere near me until next week when I will have no time at all.... gggrrrrrr.

Chris

 

Edit -- oh just checked - opens on THURS close by so I will try and see it then before the Semester starts!

 

Chris,

Apparently rubber soled boots were in use, see  #318.

Mike.

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2 hours ago, MikeyH said:

 

Chris,

Apparently rubber soled boots were in use, see  #318.

Mike.

Happy to stand corrected but I think what is referred to there were rubberized Galoshes/Overboots/Wellies (which were in use) not rubber soled boots worn with puttees... but such a quibble probably misses the point of the film - I just thought it vaguely amusing by a headline about hobnails!

Looks like I can go on Thurs so I will report back!

Chris

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17 hours ago, trajan said:

Yeh, I  saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in 1969, and can explain why I didn't think much of it... So.. You "didn't think that much of [it] tho"?

ive seen the mona lisa as well dint think much of it tho 

watch the film then see if you like it . 

 

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On 04/01/2020 at 14:07, Steven Broomfield said:

 

The words 'tedious', 'uncritical' and 'they would say that, wouldn't they/' come to mind.

 

The screenwriter’s apparent belief that it was unusual for a woman to be writing about the Great War didn’t speak to me of extensive research and nor did the statement that “those men were fighting for a free and united Europe”.

 

P.S. If you need to get a message to cut-off troops, don’t you send a plane to drop a message streamer? That’s what Biggles did in at least one story, although admittedly it would shorten the film somewhat.

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 ‘Fighting for a free and united Europe’... Not really. It may be trendy to suggest that but of course they were fighting for the British Empire. Not a palatable idea for today’s left leaning intelligentsia!

anyway what the hell im sure it’ll be a great film anyway. It’s a story set against a mostly authentic WW1 background featuring the British Army. I’ll take it Rubber boots not withstanding.

 

PS No women writing about WW1?

Not heard of Lyn MacDonald then.... 

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18 hours ago, keithfazzani said:

My favourite film is Zulu. Indeed it is a great film, but far from historically accurate. 

I now realise why I could not see my Great Grandfather in it.  :D

 

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Tickets booked for this Friday...

 

Bernard

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2 hours ago, Rob Comber said:

 ‘Fighting for a free and united Europe’... Not really. It may be trendy to suggest that but of course they were fighting for the British Empire. Not a palatable idea for today’s left leaning intelligentsia!

PS No women writing about WW1?

Not heard of Lyn MacDonald then.... 

Fighting for the British Empire? Really? What about Belgian independence, respect for international treaties, against German barbarism, because my mates had joined up, the prospect of a free jolly and back in time for Christmas pudding, or because blind obedience had been beaten into me at school with bits of leather and wood?

Women writers? There are some excellent writers on WW1 who happen to be women. These include Isabel Hull, Margaret MacMillan and Annette Becker, none of whom are British. I don't think Lyn would make it onto the short list of writers, male or female, who have changed our understanding of WW1. 

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"1917, directed by Sam Mendes (centre) met the diversity standards to be nominated for best British film"     BBC News website today

mendes.jpg

Edited by Hyacinth1326
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21 minutes ago, Hyacinth1326 said:

diversity standards

Is there a list of these somewhere?

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3 hours ago, Rob Comber said:

I’ll take it Rubber boots not withstanding...

War diary 18th (County of London) battalion 25th December 1915:

Relieved  by 19 Batt Lon Regt. Relief very difficult owing to terrible state of trenches, 2 feet of mud. Relief started 6pm 25th relief effected 10am 26th. Men very tired. Many gum boots had to be left in the mud to enable men to extricate themselves from trenches.

26th To Sailly. Men resting.

27th Resting in Sailly. Cleaning up proceeded with. Deficient in 200 gum boots.

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A couple of Sepoys are featured, obviously for diversity reasons as there were no Indian troops i know of on the Western Front as late as 1917 

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3 hours ago, Rob Comber said:

 ‘Fighting for a free and united Europe’... Not really. It may be trendy to suggest that but of course they were fighting for the British Empire. Not a palatable idea for today’s left leaning intelligentsia!

 

Despite being left-leaning and (I hope) resasonably intelligent, I'm able to recognise that people in the past saw the world differently. In fact I somehow doubt that the French, Ottoman, Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian or Japanese Empires were fighting for a united Europe either.

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18 minutes ago, Nick Beale said:

were fighting for a united Europe either.

Was it to protect the Aristocracy?

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The article on the bbc news website  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51009468

 

'Last year, Bafta introduced new criteria for two awards "to encourage better representation and increased inclusivity across the British industry".

It said films would not be nominated for best British film or best British debut unless they met at least two of four "diversity standards", which cover on-screen talent, storylines, creative leadership, training and underserved audiences.

This year's best British film category includes Rocketman, Sam Mendes's World War One drama 1917 and The Two Popes, starring Jonathan Pryce and Sir Anthony Hopkins as a pair of pontiffs.

The BFI, which oversees the diversity standards scheme, does not publish details of which criteria each film met, but confirmed all nominated films in the two categories met the diversity criteria. Those criteria do not extend to the acting and directing awards'.

 

 

 

Edited by Hyacinth1326
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48 minutes ago, jonbem said:

Was it to protect the Aristocracy?

Tricky business to "fight for your country" without fighting for the people in charge of it!

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