PASSCHENDAELE Movie Review

The battle for passchendaele was one of the major battles in the First World War. Chief General Sir Douglas Haig launched an attack from the British front, which proved the most controversial of the entire war. After the British and Australian/New Zealand troops had fought weeks of grinding battle resulting in many casualties, on October 26 Lieutenant-Gen Sir Arthur CURRIE's Canadian Corps attacked over terrain that resembled a quagmire. By November 7, having endured appalling conditions and having suffered over 15 000 Canadian soldiers dead and wounded, the Canadians seized Passchendaele and with it 5 km2 of mud. Haig has been severely criticized for prolonging his attack, but the Canadians displayed high standards of leadership, staff work and training, and succeeded where all others had failed.

The Germans used to call the Canadian soldiers Storm troopers because they always got their job done. When I heard they were making a movie about the battle of passchendaele and that it was going to be made by Canadians I was excited. Finally a movie portraying our hero's and not that Americana ww2 stuff Hollywood seems to shove down our throats. Does it deliver sadly no it doesn’t and is almost border line offensive.

It not only tries to be a war movie but a romantic movie between Michael and Sarah. Yes its one of them war movies that tries to romance war. Besides the intro the first hour and 10 min or so is set in Calgary. Where Michael Dunne is home from the war and Sarah who just happens to be from Calgary too. Yes the nurse he met on the front line in fucking Europe. Meanwhile G.I. Jane I mean David Sarah's sister wants nothing more than to go to war and play soldier. But failed out the first time because of asthma. Eventually he gets his girlfriends dad, who just happens to be a Dr to falsify his paper saying he is fit to serve. Michael Dunne wants to protect David awwwww and they both ship off to the front. Well Sarah must be out of the story till the end right? Nope she follows them along and tracks down Michael since apparently world war one is a small skirmish now. So they talk and end up having sex when.....Wait what??? Yep somehow Michael manages to get it up and blink her when there is a fucking war going on.

The actual battle for Passchendaele lasts roughly 20 min tops. With them cutting back to Sarah who instead of treating other soldiers she stands there like a dumb ass worrying about Michael and G.I. Jane I mean David. but wait it gets worse....during the end of the battle David finally grows a pair and decides it would be a great idea to act like fucking Rambo and charge at the German front line.....BY HIMSELF... he gets blown up and in some act of god gets hung on barb wire depicting a crucifixion in the middle of the battlefield. So what does Michael do, well Sarah is going to be pissed he broke his promise and since it worked so fucking well for David. he acts like Rambo too getting all the way too David where the Germans Decide to stop firing.....yeah that’s right the entire German platoon decides you know that’s fucking heroic let’s stop firing and let him drag his worthless ass back. Just in time for Sarah to actually do something since Michael is the only one hurt from the battle right? Where he dies in her arms...

I have not had this much sap since I had pancakes at the golden griddle....are they still around? Anyways if you want to learn around our fallen hero's it’s called the history channel. People who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it...well hopefully i dont have to repeat this waste of space...

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