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Original poster

To think 1917 is beyond unrealistic?

140 replies

GinTonicOnIt · 20/12/2020 23:10

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?

OP posts:
SingANewSongChickenTikka · 21/12/2020 06:45

Realistic or not, don’t they cover this at the start of the film when they’re given the mission? That the officer they need to get the message to isn’t responding to other ways of communication?

Ericaequites · 21/12/2020 07:34

1917 reminded me of the American Civil War, which had taken place less than fifty years before. Many technological advances in WWI, such as durable dog tags, were based on problems identified in the Civil War and Franco Prussian War (1870-71). It’s an intense but difficult film to eatch.

Elfinghecking · 21/12/2020 07:38

So annoying! Why didn’t they just use WhatsApp??
I think your question has been answered - runners were the main communication. I thought it was a brilliant film.
A fictional story. And brilliant.

Unsuremover · 21/12/2020 07:45

Shall I just ask my granny’s brother? Who’s job it was to run messages along the front line, by himself, at 19. I mean obviously he was blown to bits in the middle of the night by himself in some dammed field in France but that’s what he was doing, according to the bloke that came to see my great granny after the war to tell her. Turns out being reasonably good at cross country wasn’t an advantage. I’d only you’d been there OP to advise them to send a platoon of surplus men.

PoorMansPaulaRadcliffe · 21/12/2020 07:51

I liked it, overall. I thought George MacKay was superb and was surprised he wasn't Oscar nominated.

Besom · 21/12/2020 07:51

@Unsuremover

Shall I just ask my granny’s brother? Who’s job it was to run messages along the front line, by himself, at 19. I mean obviously he was blown to bits in the middle of the night by himself in some dammed field in France but that’s what he was doing, according to the bloke that came to see my great granny after the war to tell her. Turns out being reasonably good at cross country wasn’t an advantage. I’d only you’d been there OP to advise them to send a platoon of surplus men.
That's very sad.

My great granfather died in 1917 at Ypres leaving 5 kids behind. I can't bring myself to watch it.

PapsofJura · 21/12/2020 07:53

The film was based on the true story of Sam Mendes grandfathers experience in WW1. Obviously there are elements of fiction but the basic premise and story is based on fact, including the very young age.

Fieldofyellowflowers · 21/12/2020 08:03

@NoddyWithAVoddy

The army uses footage of wars that happened over 100 years ago to train current soldiers Confused

You do realise that plenty of historians, or people who just have an interest in the two world wars have done a lot of reading and research too?

Okbye · 21/12/2020 08:04

It was harrowing and hard to watch (the part when his hand goes through the gooey dead body 🤢🤮) however I'm glad I watched it in the cinema on massive screen. George McKay was brilliant in it.

However I agree with a PP that it wasn't 'enjoyable' and I was tense throughout the whole thing and felt like I was constantly holding my breath! (same when I watched Dunkirk). Its a 'one and done' film for me though - don't have any desire to see it again but glad I've seen it once.

MaryLeeOnHigh · 21/12/2020 08:05

You civvies make us in the forces laugh

How lovely for you to have such a sense of superiority, how's that going for you, @NoddyWithAVoddy? My neighbour who works in a pub that, pre-lockdown, was regularly frequented by squaddies, struggled to recognise his innate inferiority as he regularly threw them out pissed out of their skulls.

ReallySpicyCurry · 21/12/2020 08:09

Eh?

My great, great uncle won the Victoria Cross for saving hundreds of men in a similar situation. The bloke who was carrying a message regarding poison gas was blown up, great uncle spotted this, ran like fuck warning everyone, on the way back he rescued a few injured men from no man's land and dragged them back to the trenches. Then he got exploded himself.

Did you think they had Nokias or something?

user1471565182 · 21/12/2020 08:12

The German army wasnt exactly good. They murdered around 7000 civillians by firing squads in the invasion of France and Belgium in the great war. They would likely have sent a message by dropping it by plane at this stage in the war, wireless was still crap on land, but they possibly didnt have air superiority or didnt want to give away any suprises by having planes dropping messages visibly in front lines

Namechange8471 · 21/12/2020 08:13

You need to get off mumsnet and read a few books op, preferably history ones. Biscuit

user1471565182 · 21/12/2020 08:15

Wilhelm was awful.

So many colonial atrocities beyond the british empire dont get taught.

Herero and Namaqua genocide-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_and_Namaqua_genocide

user1471565182 · 21/12/2020 08:17

They taught me fuck all about world 1 war in the army beyond the usual cliches. Let it all by myself.

Cam2020 · 21/12/2020 08:18

Becasue ultimately, they're all just cannon fodder.

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 21/12/2020 08:20

@NoddyWithAVoddy

You carry on believing the arty farty film scripts *@SarahAndQuack* Me? I'm going to my comfy bed with a cuppa. Night.
How civilian
NastyBlouse · 21/12/2020 08:21

Films use creative licence in order to communicate a coherent narrative, and aren’t meant to be taken as gospel fact. It’s not meant to be a documentary!

user1471565182 · 21/12/2020 08:22

*learnt

Original poster
GinTonicOnIt · 21/12/2020 08:24

Good point by some pp about why didn't they just send a text or use what's app. However, I think snap chat would have been a better choice! Also he could have filmed a few tick toks along the way, for proof it all happened and so he'd defiantly get that medal.

OP posts:
DesperatelySeekingSunshine · 21/12/2020 08:25

My annoyance with 1917 was how incredibly healthy that baby in the basement looked. We were supposed to believe they were starving, and yet baby was lovely and chubby.

CoronaIsWatching · 21/12/2020 08:30

You civvies make us in the forces laugh

Nice to know what you think of the people you're supposed to be serving to protect

Rae36 · 21/12/2020 08:31

I enjoyed it. I was properly on the edge of my seat hoping the guy would make the right decision when he finally got the letter. I wasn't convinced he would.
No comments on historical accuracy from me.

JustLikeStitch · 21/12/2020 08:36

@NoddyWithAVoddy only person I’ve ever known to talk about “the forces” like that are people who have never stepped foot in any kind of military situation. Carry on with your pile of lies love, you’re not impressing anyone.

PiggyPlumPie · 21/12/2020 08:40

I glad to see that others didn't enjoy it. I thought it was a really good film, story well told, liked the one shot filming - but I didn't enjoy it. Couldn't explain it but I didn't feel like I wanted to see it again.

Weird.

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