The Battle of the Somme (film)

The Battle of the Somme US title, Kitcheners Great Army in the Battle of the Somme, is a 1916 British documentary and propaganda film, shot by two official cinematographers, Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell. The film depicts the British Army in the preliminaries and early days of the Battle of the SommeJuly November 1916. The film had its premire in London onAugust 1916 and was released generally onAugust. The film depicts trench warfare, showing marching infantry, artillery firing on German positions, British troops waiting to attack onJuly, treatment of wounded British and German soldiers, British and German dead and captured German equipment and positions. A scene during which British troops crouch in a ditch then go over the top was staged for the camera behind the lines.

The Battle of the Somme is a blackandwhite silent film in five parts, with sequences divided by intertitles summarising the contents. The first part shows preparations for battle behind the British front line there are sequences of troops marching towards the front, French peasants continuing their farm work in rear areas, the stockpiling of munitions, General Beauvoir De Lisle addresses the 29th Division and some of the preparatory artillery bombardment by 18pounder, 60pounder and 4.7inch guns, 6inch, 9.2inch howitzers and 2inch mortars is shown. The second part depicts more preparations, troops moving into front line trenches, the intensification of the artillery barrage by 12inch and 15inch howitzers, a 9.45 inch Heavy Mortar and the detonation of the Hawthorn Ridge Mine. Part three begins with the attack on First day on the SommeJuly 1916, with some reenactments and shows the recovery of British wounded and German prisoners. The fourth part shows more scenes of British and German wounded, the clearing of the battlefield and some of the aftermath. The final part shows scenes of devastation, including the ruins of the village of Mametz, British troops at rest and preparations for the next stage of the advance.OnNovember 1915, the British Topical Committee for War Films, representing British newsreel producers and supported by the War Office, despatched two cameramen to France. Geoffrey Malins of Gaumont British and Edward Tong of Jurys Imperial Pictures, were to shoot footage for short newsreels. By early June Tong had fallen ill and been sent home but he and Malins had made five series of newsreels, which although wellreceived, had failed to impress the British cinema trade. John McDowell, of the British amp Colonial film company, volunteered to replace Tong and left for France onJune 1916. OnJune, the British Army began the preparatory artillery bombardment of German positions for the Battle of the Somme. ........

Source: Wikipedia