6 movies to watch in honour of Remembrance Day
By Federico Sierra
In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Remembrance Day is the day where we remember all of Canada’s veterans. We remember their sacrifice and bravery, and a small way we can pay tribute at home is with the following collection of war-centric movies. Below are six titles that show the perspective of the Canadian Armed Forces during times of war, taking you through their unpredictable journey.
1) Passchendaele (2008)
Also known as the Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele is based on the events that culminated in November 1917 after a three-month fighting campaign.
The movie is written and directed by Alberta-born Paul Gross, who also stars as the leading role of Michael Dunne. The movie follows Dunne after he reenlists into the army to protect his brother-in-law. Lest we forget, Gross uses his character of Dunne as a proxy to remind the audience of those chaotic times, and the heroes that fought to protect the freedom of their country. Passchendaele is wrapped by an endearing story of a soldier’s promise to return to the woman he loves.
2) Churchill’s Island (1941)
This archive footage documentary won the first Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1942. A slice of life that documents the Battle of Britain, Churchill’s Island depicts an important moment in history when England was preparing for a Nazi invasion. At this point in time, Britain was the last remaining country in Europe where the German army hadn’t stepped in. It was a turning point in which control of England would determine the fate of the war, and the Canadian Armed Forces became a key factor in securing the British Isles from the German army.
The documentary is a harrowing reminder of the intimidating strategies and powerful technologies that were used during this war. From airplanes to submarines, this 21-minute documentary captures the war from different perspectives in an effort to display the threat from the enemy forces, as well as the sacrifice from the allied forces to ensure the freedom of the Western nations.
3) Paris 1919
Based on Margaret MacMillan’s bestseller Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempts to End War, this small docudrama was released for TV by the National Film Board of Canada. The story focuses on the aftermath of World War I and depicts the many gatherings that took place in Paris to reach an armistice between the warring parties at the Treaty of Versailles. The movie blends archival footage with dramatized scenes to portray an accurate depiction of the talks that marked the end of the war.
4) Hyena Road (2015)
Paul Gross directed yet another movie centered on Canadian armed forces at war. This time the Albertan director takes the audience to the conflict in Afghanistan, and we witness the episodic battles from the perspective of three Canadian soldiers. The film was inspired by real troops that constructed the Route Hyena, an 18-kilometre long road to ease the transport for hundreds of local farmers in one of the poorest areas of the world.
Hyena Road was acclaimed upon release for its gripping battle sequences and an accurate depiction of war. The movie won three Canadian Screen Awards including Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Overall Sound.
5) The Trenches (2010)
This 6-minute animated short film presents a glimpse of life in the trenches during WW1. We are presented with a young soldier sitting down in the trenches, his face reflecting the uncertainty of his situation. The soldier reminisces on his simpler life back home, mowing his fields and tending for his cattle.
The short film portrays the soldier as a man stuck between two worlds, dreaming to escape back home while living the nightmare of war. The animation is minimalistic enough to transmit the fears of the young soldier, and the color palette alternates between dirt browns to sky blues to distinguish the soldier’s reality and his memory.
6) The Devil’s Brigade (1968)
The movie is inspired by the 1st Special Service Force, also known as the Devil’s Brigade, an elite American-Canadian unit during WW2. The story follows a fictional recreation of the Brigade during their first mission in Italy. Even though it’s not historically accurate, The Devil’s Brigade is a fairly entertaining war adventure that focuses on the camaraderie that’s created between the members of the unit and how they fight to keep each other safe.