The War I Knew

I know a little about The Normandy Invasion (Summer 1944) and was saddened to see how very badly this story was portrayed. The landscape looked nothing like Normandy; was it The Brecon Beacons? The behaviour of the four allied soldiers was very unlike any military unit I have worked with and there were few signs or sounds of airborne activity. Lastly the film claims that Jonny Barrows was awarded The VC. I cannot find any record of such an award being made. I would welcome any comments from the producer so I could explain why he did not make a better job of an interesting story.

This is no Saving Private Ryan, but a) I don't think that is what they were trying to achieve and b) I bet the budget for the entire movie was equal to the lowest paid extra in Saving Private Ryan!

It has all of the qualities of a plausible set of events, and I believe that short of the one scene (you'll know it when you see it), I doubt the plot is far from how it really happened.

The acting was good, although the fatalities in the flying bullets scenes need to refine the 'sack of spuds' principal, it actually looked more like they were coached to 'tuck and roll'!

I particularly liked the fact that they didn't try and add too many people in the 'events'. I personally find it unrealistic in some movies that you don't see the individual vehicle traveling along the road. I believe that Rommel was actually wounded because a pilot did see a single staff car opportunity and took it! Not everywhere was full on convoys.

To sum up; great story line and very believable (on the whole), good acting and most of all entertaining as well as having realistic characters. I would suggest to anyone that enjoys a 'based on true events' movie, this is a good watch.

Poor movie, none of the surrounds look like France, only of England. Also very poor acting. What is appalling is at the end it mentions Johnny Barrows received a Victoria Cross for his bravery. This is an insult for the real hero's that earn't the VC during wartime. The producers should face legal action for this insult!!

Wars are not just big battles and intense military challenges. The majority of the daily life during a war is composed of micro-stories, of ordinary people with their trivialities, fears, and aspirations. In Hollywood films, soldiers magically transform into bloodthirsty heroes, killing machines. However, in reality, those poor young men, taken out of their daily context, find themselves having to confront situations in which, despite their training, they don't lose their human essence.

This is an intimate film, devoid of the grand special effects of war productions, and probably not appreciated by genre purists. The very low budget perfectly aligns with the story being told; there are no frills, just pure and simple everyday life for a small improvised platoon. The music also avoids the bombastic clichés of grand fanfares and frenetic rhythms, relying mainly on significant compositions of classical music, which is likely the music that these young men have in their imagination when lost in the bucolic countryside. The American paratrooper from the 101st Airborne Division might have had different rhythms in his head-jazz, rhythm & blues-but the poor soul, shocked by some bombardment, perhaps only has a profound and immense silence in his mind.

The low budget also forgives a few equipment errors; the German officer clearly has an outdated and mismatched insignia from the time the film is set. The merit of this production is not falling into a simple reenactment of World War II; the gap is truly narrow.

I would have given it an 8 if only a little more had been invested in post-production special effects, which are ultimately the most economical (explosions, gunfire sounds), and a bit more realism in the makeup. I've seen too many clean-shaven and neatly groomed faces, and well-combed hair even after several nights out in the open.

This is one of those films that is hard to describe without employing inventive expletives of the most Anglo Saxon nature. However, I shall try – the synopsis is a British paratroop squad are dropped miles from their drop off point and all but one are wiped out and then the sole survivor, Jonny, has to get back to his lines and grow a pair etc.

Now the mistakes pile up faster than an Enron executive planning excuses. He stops to bury the dead, carries a Luger (that always goes down well if one is captured) and wanders about in the 'French' countryside in the total open. Then he meets some other lost solders and they have some unconvincing and lack lustre japes in the Lancashire countryside. Yes that is where this guffathon was filmed North England which surprisingly does not make a good double for Normandy.

The special effects are excruciatingly bad. Some of the acting raises a smile but to be extremely fair there are some reasonable performances here ostensibly from Paul Harrison as Jonny, James Boyland as Murphy (don't even get me started on the gay sub plot though) and the American Adam Woodward. Others are less convincing but I think that is mostly because the script is soo contemptibly awful. Language often used is of a modern vocabulary and seems totally incongruous for some Brit Tommies in WW2.

It was originally called 'The War I Knew' and is based on actual 'accounts' what are they then? I think it must be that some men dressed up and did some fighting ? Am I even close – well we will never know as these priceless sources are yet to be revealed. I tried to find some positives and apart from the acting – in places – the only other one I can think of is that this is easy to watch on fast forward as you will miss nothing. Not the worst war film ever but one that should be given very serious consideration – avoid like a drunken dance off in a mine field.