passchendaele movie historical accuracy

– Premier Ralph Klein. and because of the need for experienced soldiers as high casualties were expected. Passchendaele 2009 (Age Rating 15) Directed by Paul Gross and Starring Paul Gross / Caroline Dhavernas / Joe Dinicol / Meredith Bailey / Jim Mezon , box office chart history, UK gross, US gross and world gross, related news, BBFC certificates | Salty Popcorn The marker has been altered to remove the "5" of 1915 and changed to 1917. However, news of thousands of casualties would have only intensified the debate over conscription, so Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden decided to not publicize the battle, which is why it is not well-known, unlike Vimy Ridge. Against this setting, Passchendaele tells the story of Sergeant Michael Dunne, and the love of … The set design is simply amazing. Users: [ratings] As a director, Gross paints in big, emotive strokes, and though his dialogue often feels too tied to historical fact, this old-fashioned, patriotic war movie has its heart in the right place. Lt Col D Ormond's Battle Narrative, dated November 28, 1917, National Archives of Canada File RG9 III C3, Vol 4052, folder 21, file 2. Alliance Films, 2008, 114 minutes Paul Gross has spoken widely about this family connection, one of the reasons that impelled him to make this film. The new World War I drama from director Sam Mendes, 1917, unfolds in real-time, tracking a pair of British soldiers as they cross the Western Front on a desperate rescue mission. The first scene in the movie is based on Gross’ grandfather’s actions in WWI, including the bayoneting, and the main character is named after him. A scene-by-scene analysis of recent Oscar contenders by data site Information is Beautiful gives full marks for historical accuracy to Martin Luther King biopic At Hill 70, sixty men were awarded the Military Medal for the fighting there, in addition to a Victoria Cross, three Distinguished Service Orders, seven Military Crosses, and nine Distinguished Conduct Medals. The film was shot over a period of forty-five days and involved over 200 actors, some of them Canadian Forces soldiers with combat experience in Afghanistan. When he finally told the story, it really affected me and I've not been able to get it out of my head."[6]. Reference this Share this: Facebook. View this object . Passchendaele was the third and longest battle to take place at Ypres, Belgium. Trench warfare gave you bad teeth.Trench Foot , Lice. We know a company of men replace a battalion in the line, … Dunn had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal but is burdened with guilt because he had killed a German soldier in cold blood as revenge for a Canadian soldier who had been shot when trying to surrender. the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. Lieutenant Colonel Ormond, the Commanding Officer of the 10th (also a character in the film) gave a handwritten account of the relief in which he said: I then agreed to take over the front line from the 7th and 8th Battalions...On returning to Battalion headquarters I found orders that a relief would not be carried out, but as it had already been done, and the OC 8th Battalion had left to acquaint the GOC of the situation, no other action was taken. Reddit. Those are good points, and there is no denying that the battle (campaign) of Passchendaele is worthy of a better movie. 3 January 2017 . Director Paul Gross's plot of the movie Passchendaele had a good mix of historical accuracy and Hollywood. The "Fighting Tenth" served with the 1st Canadian Division and participated in all major Canadian battles of the war, and set the record for highest number of individual bravery awards for a single battle. Narrow wooden paths had been constructed by laying a series of duckboards over the mud but men will literally drown in the mud if they step off those paths in the wrong place. The Canadian Armed Forces provided guidance for the battle scenes, and some of the troops serving as extras were headed for Afghanistan afterwards, which lent the movie a realistic feel. The scene where Dunn’s company finds itself facing a powerful German attack is based on an actual mix-up in orders that did cause a battalion to abandon its place on the line when it was relieved. The next morning the Germans counter-attack, and make it as far as the line, and both forces attack each other in close quarters combat. As of November 15, 2009, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 36% of critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 5 out of 10, based on 14 reviews. We must work to keep our veterans' sacrifices in the forefront of our minds. Grandpa, Michael Dunne, fought for three years in the FIRST WORLD WAR, and had been wounded three times, but refused to talk about it until his grandson prodded him that day at the lake. Passchendaele or Paschendale may refer to: Passchendaele (battle honour), a battle honour awarded to units of the British and Imperial Armies Passchendaele (film), a Canadian film "Paschendale" (song), a 2003 song by Iron Maiden from Dance of Death Passchendaele, Nova Scotia Paschendale, Victoria, a locality in Australia Passchendaele, a village in Granite Belt area of Queensland, Australia As a Military History student, I had no issues with the historical accuracy of the movie. Passchendaele had chewed up two British armies and the ANZACs in the space of a few months, so it was a much better example of Canadian unity, especially since it was the first time that the Canadian Corps had been commanded by a Canadian. After falling in love with his nurse, Dunn finds a degree of happiness. As my grandfather died, in his mind he was back in that town, trying to find a German boy whom he'd bayonetted in the forehead. As a director, Gross paints in big, emotive strokes, and though his dialogue often feels too tied to historical fact, this old-fashioned, patriotic war movie has its heart in the right place. You can support History on Film while doing your regular shopping. One person may watch Braveheart, a classic tale about The film "1917" lacks historical accuracy in a setting that demands it. Passchendaele: A Historical Review. Gross had previously directed and co-written the screenplay of Men With Brooms (2002), which was a much smaller production. The film takes place in April of 1917 during Operation Alberich – a historically accurate German military withdrawal to stronger positions in northern France. Dunne feels responsible for David's wellbeing and reenlists as a private under his mother's maiden name McCrae. He is about to be shot when an artillery shell lands and the explosion throws him onto what is effectively a cross, created by walkway timbers from the trench. Is the most expensive Canadian film yet made, on a budget of $20 million. This happens just as the news comes in that the Canadians have captured Passchendaele Ridge. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport . [5], "He went completely out of his mind at the end. Passchendaele is a 2008 Canadian war film, written, co-produced, directed by, and starring Paul Gross. The protagonist, Sergeant Michael Dunn (Gross), had been wounded during the brutal fighting for Vimy Ridge in April 1917. This relates to Dunne's earlier story of the legendary report of the crucified soldier. The three arrive in Flanders in time for the Battle of Passchendaele. Screenplay: Paul Gross The protagonist, Sergeant Michael Dunn (Gross), had been wounded during the brutal fighting for Vimy Ridge in April 1917. (1970) On paper, Tora! The head of recruiting in Calgary had fought in the Boer War (1899-1902), and babbles constantly about duty to God, King and Country. In particular, they clarify evidence of the brutality depicted by Canadians in the movie, that Canadians were indeed referred to as relentless “storm troopers,” and that “the horrors of war and the brutality of person-to-person combat is precisely where the film remains … Three years of bloody attacks had produced terrifying casualties but had failed to end the stalemate. He is sent home for recovery as a war hero for taking out a German machine gun position. "Named for a village located on a low rise in the Ypres Salient, the very word Passchendaele has become synonymous with suffering and waste. "The province's centennial is a time to recognize our past and tell our stories, including those about Alberta's military heritage. Like many veterans, he was reticent about sharing his experiences with his family. I don’t know about the Canadians being the most feared. The German government’s decision to return to unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 forced the United States to abandon its neutrality and enter the war. There are a few good insights into anti-German feelings. Justly proud that the Canadian Corps were the most feared element of the British army, director Paul Gross admits that he wanted to encourage young Canadians to be interested in their history by providing an alternative to the constant bombardment from outside of Canada. The film had its premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2008, when it also had the honour of opening the festival,[2] and it was released widely in Canada on October 17, 2008. The 10th Battalion was originally formed from Albertans, Saskatchewanians and Manitobans, though as the war progressed it became identified solely as an Alberta battalion. Dunne's forces spend the night in their trenches, and as a result of the shelling, David begins to have an asthmatic/panic attack and Dunne calms him down, relieving the problem. Historical Accuracy (Q&A): Why did MI6 recruit British businessman Greville Wynne? Working with photos to ensure historical accuracy, the production team transformed a small stretch of prairie in Alberta, Canada into Passchendaele, complete with mud, rain, shell craters, trees without leaves, wrecked cannon and other debris. After the support company arrives, the 8th Battalion begins to withdraw from the battlefield, believing that they are finally relieved, leaving the job of holding the ground to Dunne's small force. Directed by three different people, made in … Dependent on maritime trade for survival, Britain launched an offensive in the Ypres region of Belgium with the U-boat bases on the Belgian coast as the final objective. Aerial photographs of Passchendaele, 1 … Director and star Gross has been honest that he was working out his personal issues in the movie, and I am confident that it makes sense to him. sounds like a bit of a mess. Basically, historical accuracy in our media, especially if it claims to be historical, is important because it can shape people's perceptions of what parts of history were like. To be honest, everything about that scene struck me as strange. The set design deserves a better story, although the last shot of all of the graves is touching. Officially known as the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele became infamous not only for the scale of casualties, but also for the mud. The symbolism was probably meant to show Dunn paying the price of killing an innocent at the beginning of the film. Just click on any of the following links: French Intervention in Mexico (1861-1867), Manifest Destiny-American Age of Expansion (1815-1860), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The battalion that left the line thought that they were being relieved by a battalion of 600-800 men, not a company of 60 men. Sent back to his hometown, Calgary, Alberta, Canada to heal, he finds that the war has permeated society. The camera then pans out and the background alters to a field of hundreds of Canadian war graves with a riderless horse on the horizon. This film was inspired by Gross's relationship with his maternal grandfather, Michael Joseph Dunne, who served in the 56th, 5th, 14th and 23rd Reserve Battalions, CEF,[3] in the First World War. The contrast between veterans and raw recruits is amusing, and the recruits are naturally terrified when the shooting starts. Dunn had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal but is burdened with guilt because he had killed a German soldier in cold … Gross is Canadian, so he was probably biased. Strong German defences in this area, developed over the course of more than two years, gave the British extremely hard going. The "Fighting Tenth" served with the 1st Canadian Division and participated in all major Canadian battles of the war, and set the record for highest number of individual bravery awards for a single battle. But Bingham surely realized that it would be impossible to hold this position in the face of a counter-attack.[8]. Commentary. David and Michael end up in the battlefields of Belgium fighting for their lives. The Making of 'Passchendaele' Paul GROSS remembers the moment distinctly. Paul Gross with his Pearly Whites. While the capture of Vimy Ridge was an impressive accomplishment, it had been a relatively quiet sector of the line for a couple of years, and the Germans were caught off-guard. Dunne's cover as McCrae is soon blown, he manages to escape punishment and is promoted to platoon leader by Lieutenant Colonel Ormond, who knew him from earlier combat, when his past actions "should have got a V.C." The commanding officer of Dunn’s battalion is pessimistic about the situation since General Arthur Currie, commander of the Canadian Corps, expects 16,000 casualties and the general is never wrong. Kaczmarek. They recruited him in November 1960. Characters like Reel Cassidy were pretty much the same as in real life but their names were changed. While the leads were fine, the supporting actors seemed a bit out of their depth. The hand-to-hand fighting is literally savage, and must have been hell to film. Director: Paul Gross. … He was a 16-year-old kid, fishing for pike with his grandfather on a lake in southern Alberta. He promised Sarah to protect her brother. "Passchendaele (2008) - Financial Information", Brendan Kelly, Variety: "Toronto unveils Canadian selection" (July 15, 2008), "World War 1 Encyclopedia: Dunne, Michael Joseph", "War epic Passchendaele among GG winners", "Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television", Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television for Best Motion Picture, The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Passchendaele_(film)&oldid=1013643046, Best Picture Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 March 2021, at 18:23. He would keep various photos of the real battlefield and compare them with how the set looked. Passchendaele (2008) R |1h 54min |Drama, History, Romance|17 October 2008 (Canada) The lives of a troubled veteran, his nurse girlfriend and a naive boy intersect first in Alberta and then in Belgium during the bloody World War I battle of Passchendaele. Director: In the new historical drama Suffragette, an A-list cast pulls audiences into a volatile time in the fight for gender equality. Paul Gross based the first 5 minutes on his grandfather's story, and the rest is historical fiction. Passchendaele ridge was finally captured on 10 November. Diagnosed as suffering from neurasthenia (shell shock), he is assigned to recruiting, where he struggles to deal with nightmares that also plague him during the day. Oct 072014. In “New Theatres of War: An Analysis of Paul Gross’ Passchendaele,” Cook and Schultz further extol the movie’s virtues as a work of historical fiction. The mayor’s son is missing in action, anti-German hysteria is widespread and every wall is plastered with patriotic ads and recruiting posters. I agree that Paul Gross, the star/writer/director/ focused too much on a personal story and not enough on the war. Rating: On 10 November 1917, the Tenth Battalion took the feature with light casualties."[7]. Only Gross knew that he was speaking to the young German he had killed. Most important, the story was extremely personal, which explains the melodramatic ending. Fifteen water trucks were needed each day to simulate the rain. They calledit Passchendaele: Government unveils plans to mark centenary of The Third Battle of Ypres . Paul Gross' 2008 film, Passchendaele blurs the line between fiction and reality in a social commentary on Canadian life during World War One. By late October, Haig had abandoned any hope of a major breakthrough and simply wanted to capture the village of Passchendaele in order to control the high ground. David Mann (Joe Dinicol) is Sarah's younger brother, ineligible for military service due to asthma but determined to enlist. [9], Passchendaele received mixed or poor reviews from critics. The casualty rates for the battle of Passchendaele were roughly at parity (from Battle of Passchendaele: in terms of killed, wounded and missing, the Germans lost approximately 260,000 men, while the British Empire forces lost about 300,000), though if one considers the tactical battle only as presented in the movie - the odds are never really discussed. The film was edited by David Wharnsby, and its score composed by Jan A.P. In the spring of 1917 after Vimy Ridge, Sergeant Michael Dunne of the 10th Battalion, CEF survives heavy combat but suffers from neurasthenia. Battle of Passchendaele (July 31–November 6, 1917), World War I battle that embodied the senseless slaughter of the Western Front. It must make sense from a filmmaker’s point of view to eschew strict adherence to the facts in order to focus on artistic merit, especially if the subject matter is so remote that it may as well be myth. In general, it is an excellent representation of the period, and certainly provides a much more realistic version of the soldiers' perspective on war in 1917 than many other war films out there. Follow. 15. [13], Library and Archives Canada RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2752 – 28. Bingham argued the point to no avail, and watched with dismay as the mud-caked survivors of the 8th pulled out and slogged to the rear, leaving A Company to hold an entire battalion's frontage. A long time later, as Dunne lay in a hospital bed in the last days of his life, his family was mystified by Dunne's behaviour of asking for forgiveness, over and over. This sad “battle,”  if it even can be called that, deserves a better telling. 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( 419 ) IMDb 6.4 1 h 49 min 2010 thought that it was incredibly of.

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