Final del viaje

This is definitely one of the best war movies I have ever seen. No Rambo actions in this one. The title really depicts what the movies is all about A Journey's End. The brutality of war. Good men die like that . In times of war orders are orders. It is sad. I wonder all this potential gone to waste . Over 60 million people died in world wars. Countries destroyed. I wonder how the world would have been liked if only ... I recommend you see this movie with high quality video . The sound is amazing& the cinematic . The acting is superb . If you think that war is exciting . Think again . You ought to see it. Deserves a better rating.

Ever watch a movie that was so good, so well done that it ceases to be theater - it seems real? That's the feeling one gets watching director Saul Dibb's "Journey's End", a masterpiece on several different levels. The actors are superb, the sets unsettlingly authentic and with a spellbinding screenplay, despite taking place mainly in a wartime trench. The ominous background score heightens the film's feeling of impending tragedy.

It is WWI in 1918, somewhere on 'The Front'. The commanding officer is Capt. Stanhope (Sam Claflin), who apparently suffers from battle fatigue as he tries to keep his men, as well as himself, from feeling the effects of the growing despair that grips his company as they await the German's massive attack which has been foretold by a captured German soldier. Director Dibb captures the emotional tone in the claustrophobic officers dugout as we learn the motivations as well as the mental aspect of each. And there is no thought, of course, of a wise retreat.

"Journey's End" is more evidence of how european filmmaking has eclipsed that of the U.S. American studios are too timid to back a film considered too daring and that would break the mold of the cookie-cutter stories emanating from its assembly line. So, those of us interested in excellence in film must forage around. My star rating is in the heading as the website no longer prints mine.

Aisne 1918, Officer Stanhope is in charge of a group of men, who are in a bunker, awaiting a heavy German attack, only Stanhope's mental health is declining rapidly.

I've grown so accustomed to big budget war films, and there are many I have loved, Journey's End may not match them on special effects or extras or lavish battle scenes, but one thing it does have, is an incredible story.

The story of the mental decline of the leading man, Officer Stanhope, who's trying hard to keep it together in an impossible situation, alcoholism and paraboia. It's almost impossible to put yourself in place if one of those men, and imagine the torment, waiting to be attacked whist in a confined space.

A wonderful mix if characters, from the struggling Hibbert, to the avuncular Osborne, and of course the sarcastic Mason, all I kept thinking of was Baldrick from Blackadder 4, some wonderful, sharp one liners.

What a wonderful cast here, Paul Bettany, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones and many more, all spot on, very sincere performances, characters you can actually believe in.

It's subtle, no heavy accompanying music, no lavish special effects, it relies instead on the art of storytelling. They got the claustrophobia of the trenches spot on, as you watch you almost feel short of oxygen.

I thought this was quite an impressive film.

9/10.

What a contrast to so much mediocrity and worse eg. Dunkirk. Set in the trenches in March 1918 but not really about the trenches or March 1918 at all.

Superbly cast and acted, a beautifully written reflection of a junior officer's view of the penultimate stages of WW1. Even more, this is a beautifully written reflection on the human spirit in adversity. Of course some of the senior officers are somewhat caricatured - that is what happens in real life. Of course it becomes more and more difficult with the passage of time for people to understand the mentality of empire, the public schoolboy ethos embodied by Raliegh, Maybe the same bravado and fear affects people joining violent gangs - I know not - but Raleigh is about the same age as some gang members - 18/19. Stanhope at 21/22 is a veteran of war, Uncle (Osborne - quite possibly early 30s) almost a veteran of life in their eyes.

Of course such characters have been used in films since - but this was written in 1928. It cut the new ground - others have followed.

The Roman Horace said "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." and it took until WW2 for Patton to say "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." But what about sending your friends, your very best friends, your nearest and dearest to near certain death. What does that "do" to a man. Stanhope knows and through this film we can maybe glimpse that horror. What happens when there is no "cunning plan" left. Uncle knew.

Hold them off for as long as you can. In 1914, in 1918 when Journey's End is set, and again at Dunkirk ordinary men really did. No doubt there are countless other examples both before and in the last 70 years.

This film is a fitting tribute to those men.

To me, "Journey's End" is a far better film than the rating may lead one to believe. It's an intense war film with extremely realistic sets and clothing. The film puts you right into the trenches of WWI in way that I've never experienced before in a film.

Adapted from a play, "Journey's End" takes place primarily right in the trenches and underground officer's quarters, with the characteristic lack of set changes that come with plays and films adapted from them. While the movies are nothing alike in any way, I was reminded of the classic film "Glengarry Glen Ross," as it was also adapted from a play. When a film is adapted from a play and done right, it gains a certain intensity that is sometimes lacking in standard films. This played perfectly into the WWI trench atmosphere - a constricted, confined, intense space.

These sort of movies become character focused and the actors can really shine. Therein lies my only real critique of "Journey's End," in that I found some of the acting to be a bit uneven. I have nothing against Sam Clafin (Captain Stanhope), but he failed to carry this film, even though the story is ostensibly about him. The drinking in particular bothered me - the character drank whiskey like it was water but came across as too sober and clear-eyed for it to be believable.

But overall, "Journey's End" is a compelling look at a war that perhaps doesn't get the attention it deserves. Maybe it was so horrible, we'd just rather forget all about it, but therein lies the danger.