The Battle Of The Somme 2014 Edition

Description

Re-branded and re-released to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The Battle of the Somme (1916) is one of the most successful British films ever made.

It is estimated that more than 20 million tickets were sold in Great Britain in the first two months of release, and the film was distributed worldwide to prove Britains commitment to the First World War.

It is the source of many of the conflicts most iconic images.

The Battle of the Somme gave its 1916 audience an unprecedented insight into the realities of trench warfare, controversially including the depiction of dead and wounded soldiers.

It shows scenes of the build-up to the infantry offensive, including the massive preliminary bombardment, coverage of the first day of the battle the bloodiest single day in the British Armys history and depictions of the small gains and huge costs of the attack.



As a pioneering battlefield documentary, the very concept of The Battle of the Somme outraged commentators on its release, inaugurating a debate about the on-screen depiction of combat that continues to this day. It's use of a staged sequence to represent the opening of the assault also set the scene for continuing controversy about the truth of the documentary format.