Something to watch for.

[pecunium]

Most of us will probably have to search it out on cable, or video, but Passchendaele looks really good.

I confess to having a fascination with WW1, much more than WW2. I think it shapes the present world more than any other event in recent memory (the US Civil War is more formative, for the US, but for the rest of the Western World, The Great War is, despite it's being buried in the collective subconscience, more affective)

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up. I never got WWI until I went to Australia and there are memorials for it in practically every train station, every park.

[goshawk.livejournal.com]

I've been looking forward to this movie all summer, particularly since watching Gross's Slings and Arrows.

And he's right that in general, Canadians seem to wince and look the other way when it comes to our own military history. My university doesn't even technically offer a Mil-Hist degree; I've had to build one myself, under the pretext of "European History". WWI especially has always fascinated me--my great-grandfather lost an arm at Passchendaele.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

My grandfather fought in WW1 (I've mentioned it before). It was long before my time (about 50 years before my time). From accounts, it changed him a great deal.

From personal experience, I am certain it did.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

My great uncle lied about his age and went over in the cavalry... he didn't talk much about his experience, but I do know he was grievously wounded after his horse went over an explosive device. The timing could fit Paaschendaele, but I just don't have enough facts to be certain, not even his unit or actual dates.

-- Steve wishes he knew more, and looks forward to the movie.

PS: there's a repertory theatre just a kilometer or so down the street from me; I caught In the Shadow of the Moon there, so there's a chance.

[maps-or-guitars.livejournal.com]

That does look good. Thank you.

[antonia-tiger.livejournal.com]

My grandfather was there. roo.

Like the filmmaker, there's some of my grandfather in stories I've written.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

You'd probably The First World War by Hew Strachan if you haven't read it already.

[calcinations.livejournal.com]

I don't think it shapes the present world as much as WW2, because from what I have read Europe before WW1 was ready for some serious change, but the war caused change to be ignored/ clamped down on. It took until WW2 to break things free for the actual change. Not for nothing do people refer to them as one war, with a 20 year break in between.

It also changed the European attitude to war. You just have to go and look at the thousands of war memorials for WW1, and see how it affected everyone; it was the first modern mobilizaion for total war. Then you can compare the number of dead with WW2, and see how war changed.