This 1916 film of the early days of the Battle of the Somme is one of the most widely-viewed documentaries ever made. In the first six weeks of its cinematic distribution from August 1916, it is estimated that it was seen by 20 million people in Britain, nearly half the population of the country at the time. It was shown while the battle itself continued, so its images held a charge of immediacy that could connect audiences at home with the men fighting in France. As the Cinema News Journal had it at the time, “There is no make-believe. This is the real thing. This is war, rich with death.”
Originally, it was not intended to be a feature film; this was decided upon after the British Topical Committee for War Films saw the length and quality of the footage brought back by official British war cinematographers Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell from the Western Front. Given what we now know of the scale of loss, with over 19,000 British dead on the first day alone, its scenes of cheering, smiling Tommies heading towards the Front with helmets, guns and shovels hoisted aloft are a jolt to the viewer. As the battle progresses though, faces get more strained, and, controversially, the cost in lives is shown. The first bodies we see in the film are those of two horses; just two of the 375,000 horses that were killed during the war. Then we see the trenches of dead, and the fallen men indistinguishable from the mud in which they lie.
Controversially too, the film featured a staged scene of troops going ‘over the top’, though given the unwieldy equipment and limitations of film stocks, scenes of actual close-up action would have been difficult to obtain.
Most telling are those few candid moments that break through the mugging and the official line – an affronted Tommy shouldering a German PoW out of the way as he tries to walk past him, and, just a few times, the awful blank expressions in men’s eyes that Wilfred Owen described as “an incomprehensible look … the blindfold look, without expression, like a dead rabbit’s”. It is the look of men who have seen something untellable. This is just one reason why The Battle of the Somme has been registered in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, formed “to guard against collective amnesia”
Choice of three soundtracks in both 5.1 and Stereo options: 1. A newly commissioned orchestral score, composed by Laura Rossi and performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Nic Raine, 2. A recreation of the medley of light classics, folk tunes, popular songs and military music that was originally recommended as an accompaniment to the film on its first release in 1916, performed by a small ensemble led by Stephen Horne, 3. An audio commentary by Roger Smither, Keeper of the Imperial War Museum�s Film and Photograph Archives
On-screen interviews with Roger Smither, Laura Rossi, Stephen Horne and Dr. Toby Haggith
Five missing scenes and fragments linked to their originally intended position in the film
Booklet with information on the film, its restoration and the two musical accompaniments
Weblink to downloadable viewing notes, music details, further reading and teaching resources.
Film Description
Smiling awkwardly at the newfangled cameras, troops move towards the Front in the Great War. Their actions are far removed from the swagger and march of war films, but then this is real.
The Battle of the Somme (1916) remains one of the most successful British films ever made. It is estimated over 20 million tickets were sold in Great Britain in the first two months of release, and the film was distributed world-wide to demonstrate to allies and neutrals Britain’s commitment to the First World War. It is the source of many of that conflict’s most iconic images. It was made by British official cinematographers Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell. Though it was not intended as a feature film, once the volume and quality of their footage had been seen in London, the British Topical Committee for War Films decided to compile a feature-length film.
The Battle of the Somme gave its 1916 audience an unprecedented insight into the realities of trench warfare, controversially including the depiction of dead and wounded soldiers. It shows scenes of the build-up to the infantry offensive, including the massive preliminary bombardment, coverage of the first day of the battle -the bloodiest single day in Britain’s military history - and depictions of the small gains and massive costs of the attack.
As a pioneering battlefield documentary, the very concept of The Battle of the Somme outraged commentators on its release, inaugurating a debate about the on-screen depiction of combat that continues to this day. Its use of a staged sequence to represent the opening of the assault also set the scene for continuing controversy about the ‘truth’ of documentary.
The Battle of the Somme’s importance was recognised in 2005 by its formal inscription in the UNESCO ‘Memory Of The World’ register – the first British document of any kind to be included.
This version features a full digital restoration, and a newly commissioned orchestral score performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra.
