E Wright
I enjoyed the series as entertainment but became too irritated by the historical inaccuracy. Not so much of the war itself but of the social relationships between the officers and their men. In episode one they portray the Australian officer as a bolshie individualist - some of his men might have been - but Australian officers were schooled in exactly the same way as their English counterparts and had attitudes to match. There is no way that officers would have taken the lip offered by their men as shown in the series. Such men would have been tied to artillery wheels for their impertinence. Nurses were given the rank of lieutenant and would not have fraternized openly with other-ranks - although there would have been some secretive liaisons behind the matron's back for sure. Capital punishment courts martial was a formal procedure and not awarded in the field as portrayed in episode 2. The Northern Irish army chaplain would not have taken kindly to being addressed in the manner of a Catholic Priest. Not on the Somme. And as a major he would not have accepted back-chat from a private either. *As a small side note on this, the Ulster volunteer contingent had actually named a part of the front line the Pope's Nose, so as to encourage themselves in the assault.And the private with the Mohican helmet? in 1916? are you serious? He would have been up on a charge for not wearing his regulation helmet straight.As for the Germans marching towards the bridge in formation order. Argghh. I can understand them being ambushed whilst on the march - and I think this is what actually happened - they were caught in a railway cutting or such like. So no. Not brilliant. Entertaining, yes. Maybe even a little sinister if it is insinuating lost values.
TruthTwentyFour
What the negative reviewers are failing to appreciate...This is a mixed genre piece... Also, get over it.Remember Knights Tale, and how effectively they used modern music to connect with a modern audience? "We will rock Rock you" for a jousting tournament? Remember Moulin Rouge! Solid examples of modern music, used in period pieces--to great effect, I'm thinking. We all imagine WW11 to the musical stylings of Vera Lynn, or can't imagine a WW1 piece without: It's a Long Way to Tipperary, all in black and white of course.How does that hit our hearts now? This series has accurate uniform, armory, battles, replete with letters, and recorded statements from the participants involved. You don't get anymore historically accurate than this... Seriously, I can safely say it is a well researched portrayal. How about communicating that portrayal, so it is fully appreciated nowadays? How about expressing the extreme violence, nobleness and depravities of this period of history, in a language understandable to a modern day teenager--which were the fodder that we grinded up in this war? Perhaps, maybe, tell it in now, in this same young person's vocabulary, to express a greater truer impact of this conflict, in a way that will communicate to their own sensibilities? You know are youngsters now have currently been equally called out, and died in wars recently, that are perhaps stupider than this, and they just might benefit from what WW1 has to tell them. Why not make this piece accessible to them? This is nothing new in cinema, that hasn't been done many times over in the spirit of showing a generation, what previous generations have experienced. In my opinion, this is one of the stand outs, which makes history more tangible, something you can taste and feel, instead of a dusty old relic.This is only a hundred years ago. We didn't have tails and were trying to avoid being eaten on the kalahari. The automobile, airplane, and telephone had already been incorporated into modern warfare.They were listening to songs, like we are. This mixing of genres brings it home. It shows the relevancy of this war, and these young people, not it's antiquatedness. It was supposed to be: The war to end all Wars, and because it didn't, we might take pains to remind everyone of that fact.Same assessment, for the modern in-camera portrayals, for the exact same reasons. YES!!! If the filmmakers of that day, could show what their generation went though, with the Pizazz this BBC production has, they would have been equally blown away, as I was watching this show.Way to go BBC! Another brilliant example of how you are out-pacing other markets. A must see for anyone I can think of.
tenkisoratoti
This is exactly why the BBC shouldn't be making programmes like this. The idea is to instill a bit of pride as well as remembrance in what our forefathers faced and dealt with.The BEF circa 1914 was not an army designed to fight large scale continental battles, it was designed to police a VAST Empire where in individual field craft and ability played a far larger role than the blunderbuss approach of the continental system (mass conscription).The BEF was meant as an auxiliary, almost, to the MUCH larger French Army on it's right flank. Like in 1940, the rapid collapse of the French inevitably put the much smaller BEF in a precarious position. The Germans swamped the British position at Mons but were stopped directly in their tracks.The British Army was seen as inconsequential by the Germans due to it's size and ordnance but the battle at Mons had quickly made it clear to the them (they lost upwards of 6 men to every one of ours) that they had been roundly beaten and had missed their chance to wrap up the French army in its entirety. Thanks to the stand at Mons, the French were able to consolidate their withdrawal (after the French 5th Army randomly decided to rout) which allowed for the counter attack at the battle of the Marne.As for the programme itself... average.
raypekin-160-328265
I watched this show with anticipation & in the end, I found that it was absolutely brilliant. Not only is the production great, the acting superb, the story line, which are taken from actual diaries & stories of the soldiers in World War I. I found this show to be honest in it's reflection to the soldiers in the Great War. It must have been horrifying for the men & women who in the beginning thought it was to be an adventure. I highly recommend this series for all adults to see. Having said that, I would not let children watch this show as the special effects are graphic but well done. Looking forward to watching the rest of the series.
