R.C. Sherriff’s 1928 play about British soldiers who perished in the trenches of World War I was first filmed in 1930. Filmmaker Saul Dibb’s new adaptation demonstrates that it is no mere period piece: after nearly a century, this story of men awaiting almost certain death on the Western front continues to convey the terrible human cost of war. Set in northern France in March 1918, the narrative is seen through the eyes of green Second Lieutenant Jimmy Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), who asked to be posted to the dangerous locale in order to serve under Captain Denis Stanhope (Sam Claflin), his onetime idol at school and prospective brother-in-law. Much changed by his experience in the field, Stanhope is not at all pleased to see Raleigh, who reminds him of his former life, so Raleigh instead finds solace from Stanhope’s kindly second-in-command (Paul Bettany), a mild-mannered teacher. Intelligence indicates that a long-expected German assault is imminent, and the company has been ordered not only to undertake a mission across no-man’s land to confirm, but also to hold its ground as long as possible, without hope of reinforcement. Sherriff’s play had obvious relevance in its day, but its portrayal of how ordinary soldiers can be treated as expendable in the pursuit of national policy remains pointedly topical in our age of global conflict, and Dibb has given us a remarkably faithful adaptation, aided by a uniformly excellent cast. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Journey’s End
Cinedigm, 108 min., R, DVD: $14.99, Blu-ray: $19.95, July 3 Volume 33, Issue 5
Journey’s End
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