Rating: 
Summary: horrors of war
Review: The horrors of war in visual and verbal poetry. True horror doesn't have to be shown only with on-your-face violence and gore (though this film is not lacking of those).
Rating: 
Summary: Well-shot but rather dull
Review: This British-made film deals with the stresses of war for three World War I tommies, two of whom are real people: Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, both noted poets whose works gained stature at the conclusion of hostilities in 1918.James Wilby plays Sassoon, a brazen, blustery type who finds himself in Scotland, away from the battle lines at the Continent, being looked after by a war psychiatrist (Jonathan Pryce). Sassoon, by all accounts, was a battle-weary warrior who started to see the war as something less than noble. Frustrated with the politicians who continue the carnage behind the scenes, Sassoon throws his medal into the sea. For this, he is judged by his superiors as being in need of serious mental conditioning, ergo, his pass to Scotland for observation. The story centers around more on Pryce's Dr. Rivers, a man who is dedicated to his craft at making the soldiers under his charge mentally fit to return to the war. But in doing so, he is in danger of losing his own sanity. Pryce plays the suffering Rivers quite well, and his attempts at dealing with Sassoon's insubordinate behavior looks very much like butting one's head against a wall. On top of this, he also treats Billy Prior (Johnny Lee Miller), an officer who has difficulty bringing up a traumatic event he was involved in while in the trenches. Owen (Stuart Bunce) is a quiet chap who, though seemingly Sassoon's opposite temperamentally, finds common ground with Sassoon, as they are both writers. Though Owen is quite timid and a bit self-conscious about his writing, he is heartened by Sassoon's support of his writing, and with much prodding, Wilfred Owen feels strong enough inside to write about the war, something he had not done until his meeting with the author/poet he admires. (Sassoon had apparently had his poems in print, and upon first meeting Owen is asked to sign a book of poetry.) There is not much in the way of flashbacks of the war, as one might expect; the story is squarely set in the rehabilitation facility. But there is some gore involved, as Officer Prior begins to crack, and relates his personal story to Dr. Rivers. Generally, the film is well-made. The director, Gillies MacKinnon, does a fine job moving the story along. One cannot fault, either, the cinematography, which is top-notch. Though just over an hour and a half, though, the movie seems longer than it really is. There is not much in the way of action, and the subject matter is, expectantly, not uplifting in any way. I probably required heavy medication after watching this sometimes tedious film. Beware, this is not an action-picture focality to war; it was not meant to be like "Full Metal Jacket," or even "Platoon." The war's ugliness is felt more in the hearts of these battered soldiers than in the trenches and fields of battle. It's not a pretty story by any means, but judge for yourself if it's worthy of your attention, especially if you're apt to enjoy psychological dramas.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: This movie is excellent throughout. I've seen many anti-war movies, but none quite like this. It centers around a hospital in England for recovering shellshocked, traumatized men. A doctor whos duty is to return these men to active service runs into a war hero who suddenly turns into an anti-war soldier. Sounds kind of flakey from this review, but this isnt your typical run-of-the-mill antiwar film. I wish I could give the details, but the way the movie unfolds is difficult to write a clear and understanding review without giving something away. No frontline antiwar film such as Cross of Iron, Platoon, Stalingrad, etc. is anything like this. I highly recomend it to anyone who is interested in the psychological cost of war on the human mind. I gave it a 4/5 because there was two scenes which really threw off the strong emotion of the show, those being sexual scenes which seemed to have been placed in for decoration and spice, and not much else. They definetly should have been left out...
Rating:
Summary: A different view of war
Review: This shows the other side of war. Taking place in a hospital during WWI, it is excellent in giving a true picture of the English doughboy. Using real-life characters (Sigfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owens, Robert Graves)one feels the horror of war seen by sensitive poets. A good follow up to "Great War and Modern Memory" by Paul Fussell, a National Award winning book, published by Oxford University Press.
Rating:
Summary: Behind the Lines
Review: Very interesting work. The person that wrote the description on the back of the box didn't know his WWI literary history or never actually watched the movie. The movie deals with the poets Sassoon and Owens and their feelings on war. There are very few front line combat scenes. The emphasis instead is upon the horrors in the minds of the men. Read something about Sassoon and Owens. If it interests you, get this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Behind the Lines
Review: Very interesting work. The person that wrote the description on the back of the box didn't know his WWI literary history or never actually watched the movie. The movie deals with the poets Sassoon and Owens and their feelings on war. There are very few front line combat scenes. The emphasis instead is upon the horrors in the minds of the men. Read something about Sassoon and Owens. If it interests you, get this movie.
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