That was filmed on the Downs just above Brighton and Worthing, West Sussex. There is a 2 lane bypass through there now with a tunnel cutting. Every time I go past there I think of this very scene.
That final shot of countless thousands of white crosses, each one a symbol of a life wasted fighting a war that was probably never fully understood by those who fought and died in the mud of some foreign place with name they could not even pronounce. They were told it's your patriotic duty to fight for king and country. Such a waste of limitless potential and possibilities from those who, instead of dying in a stupid war, could have lived to achieve a positive contribution to the world. Half forgotten men who fought in half forgotten war, fought over a hundred years ago buried in a foreign land beneath a white cross.🕊
Over 9 million combatants died in the coflict and 10 million civilians, all so the royal houses of Europe could play a dynastic chess game with real human pieces. Unfortunately, that slavish mentality of King and country is still very much alive.
So many dead, fighting for colonies and dominion in a world that would largely shed itself of such things in a few decades - Ironic, isn't it, seeing European nations and the UK slaughtering each other for possession of the world, when the very act of doing so weakened them to the point where they could not hold onto their dominions.
All those lives lost on both sides, to make our country a land fit for Asylum seekers to take from, but never to give to society, what a cruel and senseless waste of the flowers of youth so long ago!🤔
“We’ll never tell them” - my parents often told me how neither of their fathers would ever talk to anyone about their experiences, except to each other. My two grandfathers would apparently spend time talking alone in a room and then clam up when someone else entered.
I would like to have seen the Joan Littlewood theatre production the film rights of which Len Deighton purchased with his own money. Mr. Deighton had the idea of filming on Brighton Pier, produced and wrote the screenplay then removed his name from the credits.
First time i saw this was sitting at an outdoor theatre in Cam Ranh Ba Viet Nam. While we were a Navy base, we got our films through the Army {which explains why thos aboard carriers and other ships got to see MASH but we didn't} and i am AMAZED that they showed us this film
One of the best anti war films ever, and one of the reasons i read so many books about the conflict, such a stupid tragic waste of life, like all wars, and the sad fact is that we will never learn, war is what our species is best at
‘Who are you, the Unknown Soldier?’ What a stunningly bleak quip. The concept of the Unknown Soldier was thought up after the end of the Great War by the British, to give the families of soldiers who had no known grave, a gravestone in Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to, with the possibility that it was their missing son/husband/father buried beneath it. Many other nations quickly followed. The dead soldier in this scene - the last British soldier killed before the armistice - would not have had a clue what the other soldier/angel was talking about, as the concept was created post war. In the logic of the film, this poor sod was the Unknown Soldier buried in Westminster Abbey.
The tomb in Westminster Abbey is actually that of the Unknown Warrior. It may not be a soldier, don't forget there were members of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines serving on the Western Front.
our forefathers would cry to see it happen not only in 39 but again in todays world, "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them."
Interesting bit of symbolism - there is a sound like a door slamming, the leading political figures handing around treaties look up for a moment but the soldier is invisible to them. Perhaps to symbolise their lack of attention to the human cost of the war.
This ending always brings me to tears. The final scene of ‘Black Adder Goes Forth’ does the same thing. Young men killing other young men at the behest of corrupt and cynical old men hundreds of miles away - and it’s still going on.
@@mcpartridgeboy - calm down. I didn’t say the Army is corrupt. What I said was that young men kill other young men at the behest (check the OED for the meaning of behest) of cynical old men . . . Politicians and the military industrial complex. And FWIW I served in the Army in two theatres of operations in the 1970s. What have you done?
@@mcpartridgeboyhey knuckle. Corrupt. We were in Jo danger of being invaded and it was a group of elite whose egos are bruised that got us in to WW1 without a single thought of the payment that would be made by others. That’s corrupt. Just as we should never be sending our young men to die for a fight between Ukraine and Russia - both dysfunctional nations.
Today is remembrance day in the UK. Back in past it was a more sombre time were we remember all aspects of war and how WW1 was a pointless thing and that those that died were real men and women who deserve to be remembered. Now it is the single largest recruiting day for the UK army other than the day after UK children get there exam results.
And many never did tell us, only in their twilight years when it all came flooding back did it finally get told to those who were at last prepared to listen....
0:15 i think when the explosion sound came up and there wasn't any sounds of fighting anymore, then a poppy was showed to the screen.... he actually just died there.
This was the school play at Ryhope Grammar some 55 years ago, performed as an "end of the pier" show with the cast in pierrot costumes, playing multiple parts. A few years ago we went to a small theatre in Stratford, London to see this play, as we performed it at school. Quite emotional.
The trouble was as soon as WW2 happened it made the sacrifice of all those young men and women pointless, that included my Great Uncle Frank Evans killed at Ypres in February 1915. My Nan never got over it.
During the time of the making, the whole world was in cold war, while britain still remembers the horrors of wars aver since ww1.
All those stupid treaties, and knee-jerk reflex alliances to fight a war over a country few could find on a map.
The field of crosses was at Ovingdean. It looked amazing.
That was filmed on the Downs just above Brighton and Worthing, West Sussex. There is a 2 lane bypass through there now with a tunnel cutting. Every time I go past there I think of this very scene.
That final shot of countless thousands of white crosses, each one a symbol of a life wasted fighting a war that was probably never fully understood by those who fought and died in the mud of some foreign place with name they could not even pronounce. They were told it's your patriotic duty to fight for king and country. Such a waste of limitless potential and possibilities from those who, instead of dying in a stupid war, could have lived to achieve a positive contribution to the world. Half forgotten men who fought in half forgotten war, fought over a hundred years ago buried in a foreign land beneath a white cross.🕊
2024
Brought a big lump to my throat. That is one of my all time fav. films.
Over 9 million combatants died in the coflict and 10 million civilians, all so the royal houses of Europe could play a dynastic chess game with real human pieces. Unfortunately, that slavish mentality of King and country is still very much alive.
El Coby de esa época porque el actual lo estamos viviendo.
So many dead, fighting for colonies and dominion in a world that would largely shed itself of such things in a few decades - Ironic, isn't it, seeing European nations and the UK slaughtering each other for possession of the world, when the very act of doing so weakened them to the point where they could not hold onto their dominions.
Its 1969 and i'm in the cinema......
No CGI was harmed in the making of this film.
Always brings emotion and tears to my eyes .this One last scene sums up EVERYTHING.
This scene was filmed on the South Downs, on Whitehawk Hill between Brighton and Rottingdean.
All those lives lost on both sides, to make our country a land fit for Asylum seekers to take from, but never to give to society, what a cruel and senseless waste of the flowers of youth so long ago!🤔
This and the final sequence in Blackadder goes Forth are, in my opinion, the two of the most poignant bits of cinematography ever recorded
And look at our country now. What a terrible waste.
😢
“In Flander’s Feilds, the Poppies blow/Between the Crosses, row on row.”
I can see clouds oh dear they are mushroom clouds
please remember them
Politicians, should do the fighting 🤔🖕
No feminsts of today would be demanding equality here thats for sure!
We are all pawns in the hands of evil men inspired by Satan. Come set things right, Jesus.
El final de este filme antibélico es impresionante y conmovedor.
Just realised he say "it's 2 minutes too 11" 1918 November the 11th at 11 the war was over, he was 2 minutes away from see the war come to an end.
Meaning he was KIA a few minutes before the signing of the Armistice.
Men still died in fighting ater the Armistice.
“We’ll never tell them” - my parents often told me how neither of their fathers would ever talk to anyone about their experiences, except to each other. My two grandfathers would apparently spend time talking alone in a room and then clam up when someone else entered.
I would like to have seen the Joan Littlewood theatre production the film rights of which Len Deighton purchased with his own money. Mr. Deighton had the idea of filming on Brighton Pier, produced and wrote the screenplay then removed his name from the credits.
First time i saw this was sitting at an outdoor theatre in Cam Ranh Ba Viet Nam. While we were a Navy base, we got our films through the Army {which explains why thos aboard carriers and other ships got to see MASH but we didn't} and i am AMAZED that they showed us this film
English films, writing and art in general where such a class above the rest at this time.
Used to be, but not anymore..
One of the best anti war films ever, and one of the reasons i read so many books about the conflict, such a stupid tragic waste of life, like all wars, and the sad fact is that we will never learn, war is what our species is best at
‘Who are you, the Unknown Soldier?’ What a stunningly bleak quip. The concept of the Unknown Soldier was thought up after the end of the Great War by the British, to give the families of soldiers who had no known grave, a gravestone in Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to, with the possibility that it was their missing son/husband/father buried beneath it. Many other nations quickly followed. The dead soldier in this scene - the last British soldier killed before the armistice - would not have had a clue what the other soldier/angel was talking about, as the concept was created post war. In the logic of the film, this poor sod was the Unknown Soldier buried in Westminster Abbey.
The tomb in Westminster Abbey is actually that of the Unknown Warrior. It may not be a soldier, don't forget there were members of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines serving on the Western Front.
Thanks for catching that, I thought that's what he said, and replayed the segment but just couldn't be sure. A "bleak quip," indeed.
😢❤
our forefathers would cry to see it happen not only in 39 but again in todays world, "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them."
Interesting bit of symbolism - there is a sound like a door slamming, the leading political figures handing around treaties look up for a moment but the soldier is invisible to them. Perhaps to symbolise their lack of attention to the human cost of the war.
And all because of effin' politicians and 'Royals'.
And for what....
and the rulers learnt nothing
The flower of Britain and other continents sacrificed at the alter of Feuding Cousins.
Perfectly expressed.
britain, what a continent
This ending always brings me to tears. The final scene of ‘Black Adder Goes Forth’ does the same thing. Young men killing other young men at the behest of corrupt and cynical old men hundreds of miles away - and it’s still going on.
Too true
Are you crazy the British army isnt corrupt at all, neither cynical, and most of the people high up served themselves so dont be so bloody rude.
@@mcpartridgeboy - calm down. I didn’t say the Army is corrupt. What I said was that young men kill other young men at the behest (check the OED for the meaning of behest) of cynical old men . . . Politicians and the military industrial complex. And FWIW I served in the Army in two theatres of operations in the 1970s. What have you done?
@@mcpartridgeboyhey knuckle. Corrupt. We were in Jo danger of being invaded and it was a group of elite whose egos are bruised that got us in to WW1 without a single thought of the payment that would be made by others. That’s corrupt. Just as we should never be sending our young men to die for a fight between Ukraine and Russia - both dysfunctional nations.
Today is remembrance day in the UK. Back in past it was a more sombre time were we remember all aspects of war and how WW1 was a pointless thing and that those that died were real men and women who deserve to be remembered. Now it is the single largest recruiting day for the UK army other than the day after UK children get there exam results.
If you are thinking of putting on a uniform for money watch this film first
To the absolute verminous arsonists that razed Brighton Pier - may you perish like the persons depicted here.
No CGI then so all thousands crosses at end were planted on those hill sides.
And many never did tell us, only in their twilight years when it all came flooding back did it finally get told to those who were at last prepared to listen....
0:15 i think when the explosion sound came up and there wasn't any sounds of fighting anymore, then a poppy was showed to the screen.... he actually just died there.
Whoa... Genious
yes.
Tony Blair,George Bush,Donald Rumsfeld- war criminals. Does the world ever learn?. Israel's army are terrorists.
This was the school play at Ryhope Grammar some 55 years ago, performed as an "end of the pier" show with the cast in pierrot costumes, playing multiple parts. A few years ago we went to a small theatre in Stratford, London to see this play, as we performed it at school. Quite emotional.
The trouble was as soon as WW2 happened it made the sacrifice of all those young men and women pointless, that included my Great Uncle Frank Evans killed at Ypres in February 1915. My Nan never got over it.
A powerful, sad, and haunting ending! :(