New WW1 Film

[tim in saskatoon]

Speaking of upcoming WWI films, Tango01 has just posted this link on TMP:

That's the first I've heard of that one - Looks interesting! Thanks Will!

I'll probably also go check out Wonder Woman for giggles - though my wife and daughter will have to sit through the movie beside me and listen to me groaning about the historical inaccuracies.

[armchairgeneral]

Now I have seen it I don't know why I painted up so many WW1 British when all I needed was a Wonder Woman figure!   

I noticed she picks up a tank at one stage and throws it at her foe. I thought about mentioning to the wife that it was a Mark IV (Male) tank but not sure she would have been all that interested? 

[Metternich]

Clearly not our world - so I won't carp at any historical inaccuracies.  Film was great fun, and nice to see ANYTHING that was WW 1 (some of the kit was period, after all  - first time I've seen a minenwerfer in a Hollywood film !)

[FramFramson]

The YouTube historical Channel The Great War posted a review of Wonder Woman:

Went to watch Wonder Woman yesterday. We are swamped with work, so here are my two cents in text, not video. Spoilers ahead!

Overall, it's a solid "hero's journey" movie that is well executed and definitely better than anything DC has come up with recently. The aspects of World War 1 are portrayed in a way that would at least make me curious if I just knew a bit about it: trenches, no man's land, human suffering, gas warfare, "war to end all wars", artillery, snipers, amputations, disfigurement; it's all in there. From the setting, costumes and visuals it's clear that the creative department spent a lot of time on including small details that tell you more about this war.

The only thing that could have been drawn out a bit more was the portrayal of the central powers and specifically Germany. There are plenty of elements in the movie that suggest that they blamed certain individuals and generals from both sides for the slaughter like the British general who is unconcerned with casualties or Ludendorff who still wants to continue the war. And ultimately the main villain is posing as a British MP which was probably pretty bold to get through with the studio. After Ares dies, there also scenes where the Germans soldiers (notably very young, great detail) are coming to their senses. But ultimately, they remain faceless goons with the exception of Ludendorff and his scientist. It would have helped if there would have been on German with a speaking role that helps the heroes in some form. And instead of ending the movie with a British/American parade (where are the French flags?), it would have been a more powerful message to see former enemy soldiers together or something like that. This specifically bothers me because they establish that all men are seduced by Ares, but only the British and American get the big redemption moment in the end.

A great line from the main villain was "I am going to make them sign an armistice that will never last" and the hinting at World War 2 generally nicely done. So, overall a solid movie that did more with the setting than I anticipated. Would rate it a 5/7.

My list WW1 details I spotted in the movie:

- Fokker Eindecker used in the Ottoman Empire after 1916
- German Armoured Car used behind the frontline
- Germans using a British Mark IV as "Beutepanzer"
- American guy using a trench shotgun
- different optics for the German and British sniper rifles
- Indian soldiers in London
- French speaking character hints at being a Zouave soldier
- German using and deporting forced labourers in occupied territories
- the copper mask for the deformed face of the chief scientist
- strategic bombing of London (though it's called "the future" here, even though it already happened in 1917)

Also, I liked it enormously, despite extremely rote and lacklustre final villain battle and the hilariously ahistorical rewrite of the German General staff.

[armchairgeneral]

Yes I really enjoyed it. Gal Gadot is quite easy on the eye 

[gostgost]

I remember Linda Carter as Wonder Woman
And she was!

[armchairgeneral]

I remember Linda Carter as Wonder Woman
And she was!

Indeed. Got the theme tune going on in my head now