Journey's End

This is the film that started it all (in more ways than one). This was the play and subsequent film which gave rise to the career of James Whale - acclaimed director of such hits as Waterloo Bridge, Showboat, The Man in the Iron Mask, as well as being the father of horror with Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, and The Bride of Frankenstein. Without his directing this play, whose meteoric rise in England paved his way to Hollywood, we might never have been given the same treatment of Shelley's opus and the key to modern horror films.

The film itself is also a first in that it was the first major film to deal with World War I in such a way that brought it's own brand of horror to the masses. As with other filmmakers whose actual wartime experiences have brought us closer to the realities of war (Oliver Stone, Samuel Fuller, to name a couple) the material was emotional and close to Whale.

Although the first film of this type and a box office hit, Journey's End would yield to All Quiet On the Western Front as the definitive WWI film. Truthfully, All Quiet... is a much better film, however, they are two distinct films dealing with the "reality" of war from wholly different perspectives. All Quiet... gives stirring battle sequences which still stand up but also attempts to represent the common soldier's experience. Journey's End, a play written by RC Sheriff tells the story from the perspective of English officers, of which Sheriff and Whale had both been apart. In this regard, the material can be appear dated and seem more melodramatic than intended.

The film suffers more from the simplistic camera settings than from its significance as an early talkie. Whale's direction is handled perfunctorily as if recreating the stage play. There are a few scenes which go beyond this limitation but they are few in 120 minutes of film. The true success is the first film performance of Colin Clive who handled the material for Whale on stage as Captain Stanhope (after Laurence Olivier left the play after its initial run). Clive is cast perfectly as the tormented Captain (a mood he would later immortalize in Frankenstein). Ian McLaren also deserves recognition as the intelligently human face of Lt. Osbourne.

There are many reasons to seek out this rare historical film. From its place in cinematic lore and significance in the War genre to the fine performances. Either way, its a treat.

Understandably many people have called Journey's End an Anti-War film and it seems so because it reflects the terrible plight in the trenches. However R.C.Sheriff did not write this as an indictment of the Great War. It was of the brotherly love felt between two people in a time of stress. Sheriff, who served in the trenches before being wounded at Ypres never felt the great anger that appeared in All Quiet on the Western Front, Goodbye to all that etc. In fact a majority of serving personnel felt anger towards the pacifist nature of Sassoon and fellow anti-war writers.(read A subaltern's War by Charles Edmonds or some of the Ira Jones Books) One must remember that many had spent four years of hell in the trenches and to be all told that it was wasted time was pure anathema. In today's world, where we have been educated on the 'Oh, what a lovely war", Barkers trilogy and BirdSong it is more clear, in hindsight, as to the failure of Generals and the pointlessness of it all. By the way, one of the first actors to read for the London production was an unknown young actor called Lawrence Olivier

This straightforward but gripping record of R.C.Sherriff's play like most depictions of The Great War concentrates on the nervous calm behind the lines before the final apocalypse; ending irrevocably with most of those with whom we have been sharing their final days going over the top, swept up into the awaiting maelstrom, and from then on now belonging to the ages.

James Whale had served in World War 1, and this powerful anti-war film has a strong feeling of authenticity as a result. Whale obviously understood the feeling of being in the trenches of World War 1, and manages to convey this feeling strongly to his audience. In a way the terrible technical restrictions of early sound recording help to convey the claustrophobia of trench warfare - the lack of camera and actor movement make the audience feel like they too are stuck in the trenches. Of course it would have been great if the rare action sequences were less confusing and better filmed, but in the end the film is still quite overwhelmingly emotional. This is due in no small part to the excellent performances. Colin Clive and David Manners are particularly memorable.

Whale does not have the opportunity, in this early talkie, to display the great visual flare that he would later become renowned for, but it is, nonetheless, an auspicious start to a great career. 8/10.

As all of the other reviewers have stated, this is an excellent film. It really captures the fear, claustrophobia, camaraderie, and occasional boredom of life in the trenches of World War I. As everyone knows, both R.C. Sheriff and James Whale had served in the trenches, and they brought their experiences to the play, and then the film. It is a product of its time, 1929-1930, so there are technical and other limitations, but it is still a great film. Full of pathos and a sense of desperation.

The actors work well together, and many of them give what I feel are their best career performances. Much has been written about the superb acting of Colin Clive, as Stanhope, and it is true. He is great. You really feel the anguish of this man, who has been at the front for three years. He has been pushed beyond his limit, and reacts as any normal person would-- exhibiting signs of battle fatigue, never-ending fear, and occasional hopelessness. What is amazing is that he continues to endure, and to do what he considers to be his duty. He finds solace in the bottle, and in the company of his mates.

Clive was a brilliant actor, and gave his all to whatever part he played. Many of them were variations on the Stanhope theme. His role as Henry Frankenstein, in the two films directed by Whale, are similar in tone to this part. It's a shame that he didn't have more movie roles with real meat in them, but perhaps there were only so many such parts in Hollywood, and not always available. He was good in all of his other films, such as "One More River," 1934, as a sadistic husband; "The Key," very good as a sympathetic British Intelligence officer in Ireland during the "Black and Tan" period; "Jane Eyre," 1934, as Rochester; "The Right to Live," 1935, as a husband paralyzed in a plane crash; "The Girl From Tenth Avenue," 1935, as a very funny drunk, etc. He acts with Bette Davis in that latter film, and they play well together. You hear a lot about his real-life demons, and alcoholism, but he seems to have been a good guy, and many people regretted his early death.

David Manners, as Raleigh, is also excellent. He plays the school boy well-- innocent, eager to please, ready to do his part, and admiring of Stanhope. He captures the essence of this character. I think it is Manners' best role. He was very good in "The Miracle Woman," 1931, as the blind man involved with Barbara Stanwyck, and in a slightly similar role in "The Last Flight," also 1931. But I think he is best here. I also like him in all the horror films like "Dracula," "The Mummy," and "The Black Cat," but he doesn't have much to do in those films, except stand around, be romantic, and be kind of ineffectual. He had a good career, though, acting with some of the biggest stars of the day. He was good with Loretta Young, Katherine Hepburn, and Kay Francis, and, reportedly, was liked by them.

Of the other supporting actors, I think Ian MacLaren is the best. He is quite moving as Osborne (also known as "Uncle"). He supports and encourages Stanhope, and offers real friendship to Raleigh. It is a warm and sensitive performance, and integral to the film. I think it is the biggest film role of his career. You see him in some other 1930s films, but usually in small, unobtrusive parts. On the evidence of this film, he was an excellent actor.

Billy Bevan, a former silent-film comedian, is very good, too. His Trotter is full of good cheer, optimism, and kindness. He would play similar types in many more films. Anthony Bushell is good as Hibbert, the coward. He is continually trying to shirk his duty, and he manages to bring out the worst in Stanhope. Charles Gerrard, as Mason the cook, is kind of amusing, and acts as a sort of comedy relief. Gerrard showed up the next year in "Dracula," as Martin, the sanitarium guard who takes away Renfield's spiders and flies. Interesting in that Manners is also in that film. Gerrard played a more serious military type in John Ford's "Men Without Women," and was hilarious as Lord Ambrose Plumtree, husband of Thelma Todd, in Laurel and Hardy's "Another Fine Mess."

It's surprising that this film hasn't been picked up by Kino or Criterion or someone, and given a full restoration. I have always wondered why it is not more widely seen or revived. The only copies available are grainy ones on eBay or somewhere. It never seems to show up on PBS, or in film retrospectives. It is so good, that it shouldn't be relegated to obscurity. I would place it in the select group of James Whale's best films, alongside "Waterloo Bridge," "Showboat," and the quartet of horror films. Let's hope that it shows up soon in a pristine, restored print, with perhaps a commentary by someone like Whale biographer James Curtis. That would be a nice treat.