Based on true events, the film recounts the story of men living and fighting in trenches in WWI. The young James "Jimmy" Raleigh is ignorant to the horrors of war, but like most young men off to fight he is excited to partake in the action. Until he experiences the actual fighting. Asa Butterfield was a great choice to play Raleigh, as he captured the excitement, fear, anxiety, and frustration of the character perfectly. There is one part of his character the film did not clarify: Raleigh is a young soldier who had not been at training long, how did he reach the rank of Officer so quickly? He is inexperienced in terms of actual combat, so it does not make sense that he wold receive the ranking at this point in his career. In the film, Raleigh mentions that he attended eight weeks of training, and was involved in the military during school, but the film leaves this question otherwise unanswered.
Aside from Raleigh, there is another character that is easy to grow attached to. This character is Osborne, known fondly among the soldiers as "Uncle." Portrayed by Paul Bettany, Osborne serves as a father figure for Raleigh. Unlike his commander, Captain Stanhope, Osborne is kind to the soldiers and tries to make the trenches and the situation bearable for them despite his own internal struggles. It is easy to see how much he cares about the young men he is leading. This is not to say that Stanhope does not care about his men, in fact he cares very deeply for them. However, Stanhope has lost so many men and has seen the horrible realities of war too many times. To prevent getting hurt, he walks around with a tough, cold exterior to hide the tremendous pain and suffering he feels in his heart. I liked that he reaches his breaking point in the film. the film makes viewers aware that Stanhope is hurting and struggling, but it is not until he finally breaks down that audiences gain insight to both how much he cares and how much he has lost. That being said, there are times in the film where he is just a jerk. For example, the time he has Osborne read Raleigh's letter to make sure Raleigh did not tell his sister Margaret about Stanhope's behavior, particularly his drinking habits. To stray away from the leading three characters, Mason, the trench cook, is under appreciated. He takes care of the meals for the soldiers and is doing his best to make decent meals for the officers despite rations and being in the middle of a war zone. He deserved better, but in the end they all did. I liked the fact that this movie was a period piece and presented a variety of characters. I think it would help audiences understand what war is really like and how grateful we should be for people like Osborne, Raleigh, Stanhope and all of the men and women who have served in the military since then to protect our ancestors and us. Spoiler: I think that Raleigh's death makes viewers realize how many young people like him have died in combat for us, and although his death broke my heart I think it was necessary for that reason.
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AuthorHello fellow film lovers! Just a little bit about me: I love movies from the Old Hollywood era, especially musicals. In general, my movie taste is a bit all over the place. I don't really stick to one genre, as I just watch whatever looks interesting! I look forward to broadening my horizons in terms of film and reviewing them to the best of my ability in an honest way. Reading another passion of mine, and I'm frequently told I have an old soul, so expect to see a lot of older films being reviewed. I hope you can find what you need here! Archives
May 2019
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