The film is set in a World War I trench and yet everyone is immaculately dressed with not a spot of mud any solider. During the war, soldiers spent most of their time waist height in mud, black water and rotting bodies. Yet everyone seems to have a brand new uniform.... oh and properly ironed too.
shareWell, aren't they all inexperienced squaddies, freshly arrived at the front?
Also, this film is set in the height of Summer. Even in Western Europe it doesn't rain every day in Summer, surely?
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This is simply untrue. The German fortifications were far superior to anything the Americans, British, and especialy French constructed. Upon seizing German trenches, allied soldiers were often amazed at the quality of construction. Wooden plank'd walkways lining the trench floors, reinforced walls, and concrete bunkers were among the Germans' attributes.
Also, the "four day rule" was often ignored and British troops found themselves occupying the same stretch of front for weeks at a time.
By the end of the war, German supplies had been compromised and at some point, allied food, clothing, and medicine surely did surpass that of the German army. However, when this film takes place, the German army was the most organized and well-equipped.
Regardless, even in times without rain, trenches were dirty places overall and the soldiers in this film looked anachronistically immaculate.
One doesn't get THAT dirty in 24 hours, surely? You may also be underestimating the heat Europe is capable of in midsummer. I haven't read the weather reports for the days prior to the first day of the Somme, but I have dug holes in fields in Western Europe in July. In a typical midsummer for that part of Europe much of the earth would be baked hard and dusty.
In any case, I think it's also possible to argue that this film ISN'T trying to be an exercise in verisimilitude. The fact that it's wholly and obviously studio-bound makes it more reminiscent of a stage production, probably a deliberate move. This film sometimes feels like an updating of the old themes of Journey's End in a lot of respects.
The battle of the Somme was delayed for a few days because of bad weather.
Just check the photos of WW1 - when the Americans arrived what they saw were "tramps". I've read accounts by WW1 soldiers who describe their condition. The higher-ranking officers had clean uniforms. Everyone else was caked in mud, infested with lice, covered in dirt, blood, crap and urine.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1904946260
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At the beginning of the war, British troops had a lot to learn (trench foot etc.) but they had learnt quite a few lessons by the time of the Battle of the Somme. I can assure you all that this film was quite carefully researched, not just by using books and historians but also through consultation with people who were actually present before and during the battle. Unfortunately, there are precious few surviving Chelsea Pensioners.
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I think this might be a more valid complaint than the one about clean uniforms. Having men from the same county or town caused disaster if the unit was caught in heavy fire, which could leave entire villages empty of their men.
The Americans learned this as well the hard way during the civil war. I think that from then on, they used to mix their forces better.
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Top 5: Jaws, Shrek, Fucling Åmål, [Rec]. Add more if I find any top movies
Wrong about the Cockney accent , mostly it is just East Lundern...learn the diff..
Far too many sweaties (oatmeal savages)in it though , even down to the sondtrack ... that could have been avoided....
As to the lack of mud I think just possibly the director tried to style it in that it looked like a stage production ? I find no fault in that whatsoever. It was atually quite well done. All in all a pleasant surprise , as I had low hopes for this film. Glad to find out I was weong.
regards
Fit video
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Whilst conditions weren't ideal the fact that you think that WWI soldiers were up to their waists in mud shows how little you actually know about the subject. Hygiene would have been of high priority in order that the Army didn't get wiped out through disease. Bodies wouldn't have been left to rot in the trenches for the same purpose although those out in no mans land would have been as it would have been too dangerous to collect. Soldiers would also have been rotated out of the front line on a regular basis so even if the conditions were as bad as you imagine then most of the war wouldn't have been spent waist deep in water.
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