World War I

PADRE PIO: The Passion According To Abel Ferrara
PADRE PIO: The Passion According To Abel Ferrara

Padre Pio leans into its politics and historical fealty; the spiritual aspects are heady, abstract, and dense.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) / Narvik (2022) - source: Netflix
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT And NARVIK: Germany And Norway Made Very Different Films About War And Trauma

“All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Narvik,” a German WWI film and Norwegian WWII film, premiered on Netflix in 2022.

BLIZZARD OF SOULS: The Makings Of Oscar-Bait
BLIZZARD OF SOULS: The Makings Of Oscar-Bait

Blizzard of Souls is a movie made up of things a good movie is normally made up of, but with no comprehensive thread to connect them.

1917: War Epic Blends Seamless Technical Work & Painful Emotion
1917: War Epic Blends Seamless Technical Work & Painful Emotion

1917 is a vision of uninterrupted chaos, equipped with a unique blend of personal pathos and visual bravado.

SUNSET: Chaos Prevails In Nemes’ Staggering Masterpiece

Nemes’ masterpiece Sunset ruminates on the cyclical ignorance of humanity to blistering effect, eliding our past faults, our present negligence and our future turmoil.

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD: A Colossal Achievement Of Preserving History Through Film
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD: A Colossal Achievement Of Preserving History Through Film

They Shall Not Grow Old is a major monument for our memory of the British soldiers who fought in WW1 and an enormous step forward in depicting history through cinema.

COLD SKIN: Erratic Storytelling Leaves An Intriguing Tale Of Human Connection Rather Numb
COLD SKIN: Erratic Storytelling Leaves An Intriguing Tale Of Human Connection Rather Numb

Xavier Gens’ science fiction fantasy Cold Skin is a hotbed of promising concepts. The problem is, it doesn’t know what to do with them.

SGT. STUBBY: Dog Of War’s Sweet Animated Tail
SGT. STUBBY: Dog Of War’s Sweet Animated Tail

There are those that may find Sgt. Stubby a little too twee for their tastes and it may not appeal to those who are not won over by doggy antics, but for those that are susceptible to a four legged friend, you will find Stubby a real heart-warmer.

SFIFF Review: LES GARDIENNES: Patience Is A Virtue With This Molasses-Paced Chef D'Oeuvre
LES GARDIENNES: Patience Is A Virtue With This Molasses-Paced Chef D’Oeuvre

Les Gardiennes is another gracefully-directed film by Beauvois, and it gifts the audience with another perfect arrangement from Legrand, three gripping performances from Smet, Bay, and Bry, and plenty of eye-catching imagery to make up for its lagging pace.

SEE YOU UP THERE: Post-War Problems
SEE YOU UP THERE: Post-War Problems

Despite some real imaginative sequences, which are illuminated by excellent production design and great costume choices, See You Up There’s lacklustre style isn’t consistent, never quite reaching the heights that the absurd tale requires.

JOURNEY'S END: A Hard-Hitting Tribute To Heroes
JOURNEY’S END: A Hard-Hitting Tribute To Heroes

Powered by memorable performances and Saul Dibb’s sobering deconstruction of the individuals who fought for their country, the engrossing Journey’s End is a hard-nosed, hard-hitting centennial tribute to Britain’s heroes.

The Beginner's Guide: German Expressionism
The Beginner’s Guide: German Expressionism

Begun in the years surrounding World War I, German Expressionism brought to the screen a sense of their society’s darkness & despair.

The Shadow Of German Expressionism
The Shadow Of German Expressionism In Cinema

German expressionism was an art movement that began life around 1910 emerging in architecture, theatre and art. Expressionism art typically presented the world from a subjected view and thus attempted to show a distorted view of this world to evoke a mood or idea. The emotional meaning of the object is what mattered to the artist and not the physical reality.

DAD’S ARMY: A Pale Imitation Of The TV Series

I love the TV show Dad’s Army. Originally aired between 1968 and 1977, it is a show that remains hugely popular to this day, and I can watch it every Saturday night on BBC Two and listen to the radio version every Monday morning on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Like all incredible BBC comedies, it makes up a part of the British psyche and its characters and catchphrases are legendary.

Testament of Youth
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH: A Beautiful, Heartbreaking Tribute

Testament Of Youth is based on Vera Brittain’s memoir of the same name. Her book pays homage to her own losses while growing up during World War I, but also the great loss felt by her generation. Brittain’s book is perhaps unique in that in the UK we are often told about the loss of life during the war.