SoundingtheSomme–SommeStarts
FactFile:TheFilmTheBattleoftheSomme
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ThefilmTheBattleoftheSommewasmadefortheWarOfficebytheBritishTopicalOfficeforWarFilmsin
1916.
LordKitchener(SecretaryofStateforWaratthetime)hadoriginallybannedfilmingandphotographyfrom
thefrontlinewhenwarbrokeoutandittookayeartogetthatbanlifted.
Itwasfilmedbytwoexperiencedcameramen,GeoffreyMalinsandJohnMcDowell,whoweresentoutto
thefrontlinein1916andcapturedtheweekleadinguptothebattleandthefirstweek,eachmanfilmingin
differentplaces.
ItisapictorialrecordofoneofthemostsignificantWW1battlesfortheBritishmilitaryandalastingvisualof
whatww1fightingwasactuallylike,capturingfootagefromthesunkenroadandtheHawthornRidge
Redoubtmineon1July.
PhotographoftheHawthornRidgeRedoubtbyErnestBrooksfromIWMCollectionswww.iwm.org.uk
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ItwasfilmedonaMoy-Bastiecamerawhichwaslargeandheavyandneededatripod.Itwashand-cranked
whichmeanttheoperatorhadtokeepthereelrunningataconstantspeedinonehandandoperate
movementswiththeother.
AMoy-BastieCameraJohnMcDowellwithhiscamera
PhotographsfromIWMCollectionswww.iwm.org.uk
©SoundingtheSomme&[email protected]
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Theconditionsforthecameramenwereprettydifficult.Thecameracouldonlyholdafewminutesof
footageatatimeandneededtotaldarknesstoreload,thereelswereheavyandextremelyflammableandit
wasprettychallengingtosetupandoperate,particularlyinalivebattlefield.
Thecameramenwereextremelybraveandputthemselvesingreatdangertocapturetheseimages.
ThefilmwasreleasedinAugust1916,onlyonemonthafterthefootagewasdeliveredbacktoBritainwhilst
battlewasstillbeingfought:therefore,itisnotasummaryofthewholebattle.
ItwasusedbytheBritishGovernmenttodemonstratetoalliesandneutralcountriesBritain'seffortinthe
war.But,moreimportantly,itwasanunprecedentedopportunityforthegeneralpublictoseetherealityof
fightingonthefrontlinefortheveryfirsttime.
Itwasahugeboxofficesuccess,andcinemasupanddownthecountryscreenedthefilm,oftenaddingextra
screeningstosatisfydemand.
Itwasestimatedthat20millioncinematicketsweresoldwithinthefirstsixweeksofreleaseandthiswas
almosthalfofthepopulationatthetime.Thisboxofficerecordwasn’tbrokenuntilthereleaseofStarWars
in1977.
Thereweremoralandethicalissuesassociatedwiththefilmasitshowedsufferingandactualdeathof
Britishsoldiers(theonlyfilmevertodoso)andthiswasnotdeemedappropriateforentertainmentfora
generalaudience.
Therewasalsoconcernatthetimethatpeoplemightrecognizesomeonetheyknewinjured,orsee
someonefitandwellwhosubsequentlydied,however,itwasalsofeltthatthefilmhonoredthefallenrather
thanglorifythem.
Thefilmdoescontaincontroversy.Thereisa“staged”scenecalledthe‘overthetop’sequencewhichhas
becomeoneofthefilm’smosticonicscenes.Wenowknowitwassetupforthepurposeofthefilmasthe
trenchdoesnotlooklikearealtrench,thesoldiersarenotcarryingfullcombatequipmentandwecanclearly
seethatthebehaviorofcasualtiesinthesceneisdubious.
Astillofoneofthestagedshotsfromthefilm'TheBattleoftheSomme'ofBritishtroopsattackingontheSomme.Q70167.
www.iwm.org.uk
©SoundingtheSomme&[email protected]
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Butitisanexceptionalbit‘fakery’andresearchersbelieveitwassetupasanexampleofwhatitwouldhave
beenlikegoing‘overthetop’,asopposedtointentionallysettingouttomisleadpeople.
TheBattleoftheSommesetaprecedentforhowbattlefielddocumentaryandpropagandafilmswouldbe
madeinthefuture.ItispartoftheNationalArchive.
TheImperialWarMuseumsrecognizedtheimportanceofthisfilmandsuccessfullyregistereditinthe
UNESCOMemoryoftheWorldin2005,thefirstBritishdocumenttogainentrytotheregister
Adapted,withpermission,fromtheinterviewwithRogerSmitherfromtheImperialWarMuseumsontheBattle
oftheSommeDVD.
©SoundingtheSomme&[email protected]