Landships II

Morgoth · Major

Good WWI movies?

Rob · Legend

Not many.

'Trench' 1999 - starring Daniel Craig and many other well known British actors. This is probably the best in my opinion - 99% of it is just life in a British trench leading up to the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme. Off the top of my head I can't think of any inaccuracies at all with it - when they go over the top it's very green which most people complain about but then again the shelled to bits image of the entire western front in WW1 from August 1914 to November 1918 isn't correct, and for the 1st day of the Somme some areas were very grassy still and not far off what you see in the film. Equipment, uniforms etc all spot on, and some great acting

'Wings' 1977-1978 - TV Series by the BBC, now available on DVD again, two series worth showing life in a Royal Flying Corps Squadron. Very accurate, a bit of poetic license ie downed pilots relatively easily get through the lines but it's really good, very atmospheric and realistic.

I really enjoyed 'A very long engagement', a French film, and again very atmospheric.

One of the best i've seen is 'Tell England', 1931, with absolutely fantastic, spot on scenes of the fighting at Gallipoli, and especially the landings including the beaching of the SS River Clyde and the soldiers coming out the ship's sides getting shot down, as well as great views of the rowing boats pulled in by Maxim-armed Steam Pinnaces at the same beach as River Clyde (V Beach) and also on the ANZAC beach - the only inaccuracy in this film I can think of is the showing of Turkish soldiers armed with machine guns, but that was widely believed at the time and most accounts of the landings mention that the Turkish had machine guns, although recent research has disproved this, so accurate for what they knew at the time. They've even bothered to paint the sides of the SS River Clyde to the khaki colour which it did at the time of the landings, which is often forgotten about in paintings and models

Ian P · Major

Beneath Hill 60 is a very good film. Paschendaele is a very poor film, but has good action scenes.

Roger Todd · Legend

Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels - the zeppelin sequence is technically very realistic (and the miniature effects still amazing), even if the drama isn't... And the bombing and dogfight sequence near the end is incredible - loads of real fighter aircraft hurtling around the Californian/French skies and a twin-engine Sikorsky S-29 airliner disguised as a German Gotha bomber!

http://xplanes.tumblr.com/post/205157313/film-production-crew-and-cast-pose-in-front-of-the

-- Edited by Roger Todd on Friday 22nd of June 2012 02:02:46 PM

Ironsides · Legend

�

The Blue Max, all real aircraft still my favorite...

Many Wars Ago (Uomini Contro), not desperatly accurate�but good non the less, Italian with english subs...

Paths of Glory, the enemy is never seen on screen indeed the French attack�never�reaches the German lines...

All Quite on The Western Front, Original... rather theatrical in places but some good imagery...

Light Horsemen

Galipolli

Dare I say "Zeppelin"....

Cheers wink

�

James H · Legend

As frequently discussed on the forum, Westfront 1918 and Sto�trupp 1917 are excellent films from a German point of view. Tanks in the former very dodgy, but not too bad in the latter. It is possible to get hold of DVDs of both.

If it's tanks in particular that you're after, this site lists quite a few, some more serious than others: http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Van+Dorn_model-Six-ton+Tank+M1917.html

In addition to Hell's Angels, there's Dawn Patrol.

Morgoth · Major

Thanks.

Ian P wrote:

Beneath Hill 60 is a very good film. Paschendaele is a very poor film, but has good action scenes.

� � � � � �� Are the action scenes realistic?

Ian P · Major

You can judge for yourself here:

�

Paschendaele:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJZttzblHFQ

�

Beneath Hill 60:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBHB0-a5nNc

TinCanTadpole · Legend

If by "Passchendaele" you mean the film by Canadian actor Paul Gross, it's got some excellent sets, but unfortunately most of the film takes part in Canada - I hoped for a lot more action in the mud, but despite the impressively recreated battlefield set, there's not that much time at the front.

I would second "Paths of Glory" - 1957 IIRC, starring Kirk Douglas.

Gallipoli (1981) I found a bit disappointing - most of the film is spent setting the scene in Australia and Egypt (?), only in the last 15-20 mins do they get to Gallipoli.

Rob · Legend

Birdsong was 'okay', historically wise very strange - the tunnels looked very large and well-made (not saying that they weren't well made by the Tunnellers, but they were small, narrow temporary affairs, not the Thames Tunnel). It also features a replica Thornycroft J Type on a modern chassis.

My Boy Jack I thought was very good - the ending is possibly sensitised a bit for TV, as instead of being hit by machine gun fire, Jack Kipling was instead last seen staggering around no man's land screaming with his face ripped apart by�a shell. Not quite sunday night television

-- Edited by Rob on Wednesday 4th of July 2012 09:28:08 PM

Rob · Legend

The original Saving Private Ryan beach scene was done in 'Tell England' (1931), as described above by myself - as well as the men getting shot down as they try and leave the River Clyde, as the men rowed in on the wooden boats come ashore there's a lot of handheld shaky footage as men run up, get shot in front of the camera etc. Not quite as bloody but just as impressive, especially considering the age, and it's one of the first 'talkies'. If only it was available!

TeeJF · Corporal

How about the recent two-parter on the BeeB, Birdsong? Not watched it yet but if it comes anywhere near the book it will be amazing.

"Flyboys" had some great aerial scenes, you just have to set aside the fact that as with everything else coming out of B*llsh*tville.... oops... Hollywood, it spends most of it's time telling you how the Americans won the war... both of them... every war since war was invented come to think of it.

And "My Boy Jack"... stunning and deeply upsetting.

Excelsior1 · Major

Rob wrote:
The original Saving Private Ryan beach scene was done in 'Tell England' (1931), as described above by myself - as well as the men getting shot down as they try and leave the River Clyde, as the men rowed in on the wooden boats come ashore there's a lot of handheld shaky footage as men run up, get shot in front of the camera etc. Not quite as bloody but just as impressive, especially considering the age, and it's one of the first 'talkies'. If only it was available!

�Never heard of this... and am now mightily frustrated

Rob · Legend

If you're in the UK you can watch it for free at the British Film Institute Mediatheques - http://www.bfi.org.uk/node/1017 fortunately there's one about half a mile from me in Derby. I really hope it'll be released during the centenary, the full print obviously survives, it's a fantastic film, I cannot describe how much I enjoy the Gallipoli landing scenes and how accurate they are (apart from the Turkish machine guns, which was believed at the time). Later in the film the men even change from wearing the Wolseley pith helmets during the sitting-around-the-trench times to the gorblimey caps when going into action

TinCanTadpole · Legend

I too enjoyed My Boy Jack - it gave me more interest in the earlier parts of the war, as pre-tank days had not interested me much. It's certainly one to pull the heartstrings, but I noticed when it was last on TV (around Armistice Day last year) that the date given for the battle is August 1915, whereas Wikipedia says September - one is clearly wrong!

Rob · Legend

Vehicle wise there's a listing for My Boy Jack on the superb imcdb.org website - I knew the Douglas was post-WW1 but wasn't sure about the Rolls Royce, appears it is a real one though;

http://imcdb.org/vehicle_423007-Douglas-23-4-HP-1919.html

http://imcdb.org/vehicle_423006-Rolls-Royce-1912.html

http://imcdb.org/vehicle_423005-Ford-Model-TT.html

baldwin · Hero

Paths of Glory definitley but aren't we forgeting All Quite On The Western Front ???? Surely a classic

Rob · Legend

This is a MUST watch - it's a clip from a documentary but the footage is from the film 'Tell England' (1931) which I keep bashing on about. The bit about Turkish machine guns is rubbish but apart from that a VERY accurate depiction of the landing at V Beach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKEC2FCo76c

geod-LA · Sergeant

People in the UK may wish to note that Paul Gross's 'Passchendaele' (2008) is being shown on BBC1 this week - at 11.40pm on Tuesday 10 July.

Excelsior1 · Major

Very Long Engagement is a great book and film. Beneath Hill 60 is great too, as is Paths of Glory, and I like Joyeux Noel - although accept it isn't gritty, but that's not its purpose surely?

Didn't like The Red Baron, Passchendaele (sorry, qeod-LA) or All Quiet on the Western Front (but read the book if you haven't yet: superb).

Anyone remember the Anzacs series on the BBC? That was what started me on WW1. Very fond memeories of being snowed into our village and unable to get to school when it was on in the mid-afternoon for a week.

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

Wings has a lot of vehicles and ground combat in it, including tanks.� Silent movie but very well done in the air and on the ground.

The Big Parade is another silent, US Army troops on the offensive.

The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart.

Shout at the Devil for more African adventure.

There are not many choices for WWI movies.� Too bad.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
http://bunkermeister.blogspot.com/

Albert · Brigadier

James H wrote:
Michael; do you know if it is possible to obtain Wings on DVD?

�

I'm not Michael ;), but yes, it is available�- look here: http://www.ebay.pl/itm/HELLS-ANGELS-1930-WINGS-1927-DVD-R2-JEAN-HARLOW-CLARA-BOW-GARY-COOPER-BEN-LYON-/370640106007?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item564bdf3217

-- Edited by Albert on Wednesday 15th of August 2012 11:20:11 AM

James H · Legend

Michael; do you know if it is possible to obtain Wings on DVD?

James H · Legend

Thank you, Albert. I shall look into that. I also gather that a remastered version became available from Paramount earlier this year.

Ironsides · Legend

Hi James Wings is available in Germany as "Fl�gel aus Stahl" for a mere 7euros plus post, english subtitles...

Cheers wink

Bunkermeister · Lieutenant

http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Clara-Bow/dp/B0067MLCD4

As you probably figured out already, Wings is out on DVD.

Mike "Bunkermeister" Creek
http://www.mediatealways.org/
http://bunkermeister.blogspot.com/

Morgoth · Major

"Rob wrote:

'Trench' 1999 - starring Daniel Craig and many other well known British actors. This is probably the best in my opinion - 99% of it is just life in a British trench leading up to the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme. Off the top of my head I can't think of any inaccuracies at all with it - when they go over the top it's very green which most people complain about but then again the shelled to bits image of the entire western front in WW1 from August 1914 to November 1918 isn't correct, and for the 1st day of the Somme some areas were very grassy still and not far off what you see in the film. Equipment, uniforms etc all spot on, and some great acting"
I've seen it. Too bad it was one of the typical go over the top and die almost immediately movies. Why can't they die during a counterattack for once? Also, it has lots of bad reviews that claim that it's ahistorical.

"Rob wrote:

One of the best i've seen is 'Tell England', 1931, with absolutely fantastic, spot on scenes of the fighting at Gallipoli, and especially the landings including the beaching of the SS River Clyde and the soldiers coming out the ship's sides getting shot down, as well as great views of the rowing boats pulled in by Maxim-armed Steam Pinnaces at the same beach as River Clyde (V Beach) and also on the ANZAC beach - the only inaccuracy in this film I can think of is the showing of Turkish soldiers armed with machine guns, but that was widely believed at the time and most accounts of the landings mention that the Turkish had machine guns, although recent research has disproved this, so accurate for what they knew at the time. They've even bothered to paint the sides of the SS River Clyde to the khaki colour which it did at the time of the landings, which is often forgotten about in paintings and models"
It's a shame they aren't selling it. I'd love to see it.

"James H wrote:

As frequently discussed on the forum, Westfront 1918 and Sto�trupp 1917 are excellent films from a German point of view. Tanks in the former very dodgy, but not too bad in the latter. It is possible to get hold of DVDs of both."
I watched Westfront 1918 today. Great movie. I loved how they actually have shown the back and forth dynamics of the battles with trench raids and attacks and counterattacks. The homefront part was pretty awesome too.

Is it possible to get a Sto�trupp 1917 DVD with English subtitles? All the ones that I saw were German-only.

Rob · Legend

I'm hoping that Tell England will come out during the 100th anniversary, I've managed to acquire a DVD but would love for more people to see it. Regarding The Trench, most of the inaccurate complaints I saw was that it wasn't muddy, trench was too deep etc - a lot of people seem to think it was wet on the western front for 4 years straight (the Somme was mostly fought in hot weather!) and trenches were a lot more shallow than they actually were, even British ones

TinCanTadpole · Legend

Rob wrote:
a lot of people seem to think it was wet on the western front for 4 years straight (the Somme was mostly fought in hot weather!) and trenches were a lot more shallow than they actually were, even British ones

�Yes - they also seem to think trench war stalemate started in August 1914 and lasted solidly to Nov 1918, not knowing that the stalemate took time to develop and that the last months of the war were freer-moving.

Re trench depths, I suspect the frequent use of the same bits of period footage (especially that one of a helmet-less Tommy carrying a comrade on his back, along a shallow and muddy ditch-of-a-trench, looking worriedly at the camera; I think it was filmed during the Somme campaign) is giving the idea that trenches were very shallow and unstructured.

That said, modern trench recreations go too far the other way, depicting immaculate trenches that would only have existed on quiet sectors of the front line, where both sides were unenthusiastic about fighting.

Morgoth · Major

Not really. Here are the reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Trench-Daniel-Craig/product-reviews/B004VK74A4/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0

http://www.amazon.com/The-Trench-Daniel-Craig/product-reviews/B004VK74A4/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_2?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar&showViewpoints=0

James H · Legend

Morgoth wrote:
Is it possible to get a Sto�trupp 1917 DVD with English subtitles? All the ones that I saw were German-only.

�Sorry, Morgoth, neglected to look at this thread for a while. I can follow Sto�trupp 1917 in German, just about, but I've googled "Sto�trupp 1917 DVD English subtitles" and quite a few vendors are offering what they claim is a version with subtitles. Suggest you check out their bona fides. J

TinCanTadpole · Legend

Morgoth wrote:
Not really. Here are the reviews:

�Do you mean my comment about modern trench recreations? If so, I should clarify that I meant ones for display, not ones used in films.

Morgoth · Major

James H wrote:
Morgoth wrote:
Is it possible to get a Sto�trupp 1917 DVD with English subtitles? All the ones that I saw were German-only.
�Sorry, Morgoth, neglected to look at this thread for a while. I can follow Sto�trupp 1917 in German, just about, but I've googled "Sto�trupp 1917 DVD English subtitles" and quite a few vendors are offering what they claim is a version with subtitles. Suggest you check out their bona fides. J

�Thanks.

JamesAPrattIII · Lieutenant-Colonel

WW I movies I have found on youtube recently:
Fraulien Doktor classic spy movie
Admiral Russian with subtitles
The Lost battalion
Passendaele