Page 2 | To think 1917 is beyond unrealistic?

GinTonicOnIt · 2020-12-20T23:10:32+00:00

Spoilers alert... I'm watching it for the first time now. How can it possibly be that to save 1600 men they would send a message by just TWO soldiers, on foot through a really deadly mission where they are certain to die? If you can get passed that, once the two men joined up with another set of English soldiers why didn't any of those join to help? Why couldn't radio just be used to contact these 1600 men? No it is all left to these TWO men? In saving private Ryan (fiction I know) but about ten men were sent to save one. But here, two for 1600?!?? I just can't get past it?

sleepwouldbenice · 21/12/2020 00:16

I think the point about why didn’t the other army unit help them is kind of the whole point of the film
Life was cheap. Mass deaths everywhere. The other unit literally had their own problems.
As others have said the premise of the story was actually quite commonplace as you know, war was very tough and they didn’t have another way

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/12/2020 00:17

In all seriousness, all radio messages would have been open for all to hear. So the first thing is that the force about to be in the attack, would have had to have access to a radio, and I f (and this is a big if) a radio msg was sent, it would have very likely been overheard. It would have been very likely that the Germans would have already known any code that was used. Wouldn’t that have put the forces in danger since it would have given their position away?

Real advances in codes and portable radios didn’t really come into play until WWII. I think you should probably use this as an opportunity to do a little research on the time and technology available

Plonque · 21/12/2020 00:18

You civvies make us in the forces laugh

I see you were taught Condescending 101

SarahAndQuack · 21/12/2020 00:18

@NoddyWithAVoddy

Obviously not, but you know, being in the forces we tend to have history thrown at us, complete with footage that would have you lot grabbing the smelling salts. You civvies make us in the forces laugh. 1917 = pile of dog toffee.

You have history 'thrown at' you.

You know some people actually studied it, right? Like at school or university.

It's not a niche special thing to know what happened in WW1. Including basic facts, such as those about radio already stated.

But I'd love to know what you think - from your unique position of having been exposed to the history of a war taught to most school-age children - was so 'unrealistic'?

Theluggage15 · 21/12/2020 00:21

Oh please Noddy quit with the nonsense, my brother in law is in the forces, I’m well aware of what they go through. Stop comparing yourself to those who were in the trenches in the world wars. As for history, that’s actually available to everyone you know?

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/12/2020 00:23

OP... Here’s a quick read for you. encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/communication_technology

NoddyWithAVoddy · 21/12/2020 00:23

You carry on believing the arty farty film scripts @SarahAndQuack
Me? I'm going to my comfy bed with a cuppa. Night.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/12/2020 00:26

And another... www.britannica.com/technology/military-communication/From-World-War-I-to-1940

notimagain · 21/12/2020 00:42

@Leaannb

Actually Saving Private Ryan wasn't untrue. The US did send military personnel to remove a GI from battle sue to the Sole Son Act. The family's name was Neiland. It was eventually a chaplain found him and sent him to the UK and one of his presumed dead brothers was found in a Burmese Concentration camp

Thanks for the reminder..I think the story gets a brief mention in Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" book, but never made it to the HBO series..

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niland_brothers

and also since you mentioned it:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_Survivor_Policy

and here is why at least in part that policy came into being ( they do get a mention in .."Ryan"):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_brothers

notimagain · 21/12/2020 00:48

Dare I crave indulge whilst I'm here and add the Bixby letter:

"Dear Madam,

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln."

CandyLeBonBon · 21/12/2020 03:28

Blimey! Who pissed on Noddy's chips?

TaccyToo · 21/12/2020 03:48

I really didn't like this film at all. I had high hopes as a lot of people were saying how good it was at the time but I didn't enjoy it. Not because I thought it was unrealistic though. I can't really pin point why.

xmasfairybuns · 21/12/2020 03:50

@bornatXmastobequiet

Why couldn't radio just be used to contact these 1600 men?

Or they could have texted them. Very lax.

Now you're being ridiculous, they should have climbed out of the trenches and used massive white flags for semaphore.

xmasfairybuns · 21/12/2020 03:53

@TaccyToo

I really didn't like this film at all. I had high hopes as a lot of people were saying how good it was at the time but I didn't enjoy it. Not because I thought it was unrealistic though. I can't really pin point why.

Probably because enjoyment wasn't what the producers had in mind.

TaccyToo · 21/12/2020 03:57

Probably because enjoyment wasn't what the producers had in mind

Give over.

I'm not saying I enjoy the fact that thousands died in a war.

But I'm sure producers who make money from the success of a film, want watchers to actually like watching it (and thus recommend it to others).

TheEchtMeaningofChristmas · 21/12/2020 04:30

I really didn't like this film at all. I had high hopes as a lot of people were saying how good it was at the time but I didn't enjoy it. Not because I thought it was unrealistic though. I can't really pin point why

I wonder if it was because it was edited to resemble a single take, so very hard indeed on the attention, no points in the narrative where the viewer could relax while the scene changed. I found it very demanding indeed from that point of view, though I looked the film very much.

Though King Tommen had changed quite a bit.

TheEchtMeaningofChristmas · 21/12/2020 04:30

Liked. Looked too I suppose. :o

TaccyToo · 21/12/2020 04:36

@TheEchtMeaningofChristmas

I really didn't like this film at all. I had high hopes as a lot of people were saying how good it was at the time but I didn't enjoy it. Not because I thought it was unrealistic though. I can't really pin point why

I wonder if it was because it was edited to resemble a single take, so very hard indeed on the attention, no points in the narrative where the viewer could relax while the scene changed. I found it very demanding indeed from that point of view, though I looked the film very much.

Though King Tommen had changed quite a bit.

Possibly it yes! It's just not something I would ever watch again.

I was the same with The Revenant. Maybe I'm just odd but DH thought it was the most fantastic thing ever and keeps mithering to watch it again. But I just can't bring myself to. I don't know why, I just have no desire to watch it again ever. I really didn't like it but again couldn't tell you exactly why.

xmasfairybuns · 21/12/2020 04:40

@TaccyToo

Probably because enjoyment wasn't what the producers had in mind

Give over.

I'm not saying I enjoy the fact that thousands died in a war.

But I'm sure producers who make money from the success of a film, want watchers to actually like watching it (and thus recommend it to others).

Give over yourself

I didn't enjoy the film but I thought it was a good film and one that is important to see so I recommended it to several people. I probably wouldn't have seen it except my teenagers specifically asked to go and see it.

TaccyToo · 21/12/2020 05:12

Fine.. I didn't think it was a good film. Is that better? I've removed the 'offending' word

Gardeniaofdelights · 21/12/2020 05:37

The level of offence being taken by posters on this thread is hilarious over such an innocuous subject!

xmasfairybuns · 21/12/2020 06:05

@TaccyToo

Fine.. I didn't think it was a good film. Is that better? I've removed the 'offending' word

It wasn't offensive in the first place. What I meant, but you clearly misunderstood, is that the producers probably would have wanted to make a film that was informative, raised awareness, educated people, was a talking point etc, I doubt they were planning to make an enjoyable film but one that was important to see and discuss.

If they had wanted to make an enjoyable film presumably they would have picked a different context entirely as Ww1 films are not known for being light and fluffy family entertainment.

slipperywhensparticus · 21/12/2020 06:12

@NoddyWithAVoddy

Obviously not, but you know, being in the forces we tend to have history thrown at us, complete with footage that would have you lot grabbing the smelling salts. You civvies make us in the forces laugh. 1917 = pile of dog toffee.

Bugger off plank its called fiction for a reason

Critical thinking clearly isn't taught in either army just obey orders

TaccyToo · 21/12/2020 06:18

I think you've completely misunderstood what I meant by enjoy.

I am well aware that a film about WW1 isn't going to be fluffy family entertainment.

But if I watch a film, no matter what the subject, I still want to be glad I spent the time watching it.

I wasn't.

That was what I clearly meant by enjoy.

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/12/2020 06:27

@Gardeniaofdelights

The level of offence being taken by posters on this thread is hilarious

over such an innocuous subject!

People are getting generally angry and closed off after months of COVID nonsense. I've noticed it recently. People are done.