#399 - Passchendaele - (35%)

This maybe a short review as I was aware of the battle of Passchendaele in 1917 from the first World War and I was expecting a story of the battle. I think it was my expectations that made me not give this film a higher rating. It was taken as a personal story of a young man wanting to fight in the war whilst someone who had already been to war and returned home to live the rest of his life in peace. Suffering from what I would assume would be a type of PTSD he is convinced to return and agreeing to keep this youngster safe. I am not sure how the Canadian army works but can a man sign up with the agreement of remaining with his relative or friend. So, they get sent to the same place etc. The story was a personal one and based on the stories of a relative of the director or writer and I do not want to belittle those that fought in this or any other war. What they went through I couldn’t image and each and every day since they were fighting the same battles over and over in their minds. This movie has moments depicting the battle as shitty and gritty as it possibly was during the war. It highlighted this but I think I was expecting this to be predominantly what this story was and it wasn’t as the majority is set before this battle. I was expecting the opening of Saving Private Ryan but got a story of a town in Canada where prejudice and family life ruled. I said in the beginning maybe I watched this with the wrong expectations but ultimately, I was disappointed with the end result and I really wanted this film to pay tribute to those who lived and died in that battle, I don’t think it did.