[Mustang1]

dossettd wrote:

I was thrilled to be an extra in Passchendaele. I travelled from Kingston Ontario to Calgary and stayed there for five weeks to be in the movie as a background extra. For those who are wondering about how well it will be received, I would like to assure you that what I saw was thrilling. When special effects, musical score and all the other goodies are added I am sure that it will make all Canadians proud. If you are interested in seeing some pictures of the film shoot visit my website at http://www.daviddossett.com

Cool...I'm looking forward to this movie.

[llama66]

I'd love to see a movie about Vimy done as well, but am absolutely thrilled that Passchendaele is coming out and will see it in theaters. finally a movie about our military history. awesome.

[CanAm1]

dossettd wrote:

I was thrilled to be an extra in Passchendaele. I travelled from Kingston Ontario to Calgary and stayed there for five weeks to be in the movie as a background extra. For those who are wondering about how well it will be received, I would like to assure you that what I saw was thrilling. When special effects, musical score and all the other goodies are added I am sure that it will make all Canadians proud. If you are interested in seeing some pictures of the film shoot visit my website at http://www.daviddossett.com

Welcome to CKA, good fun being an extra, isn't it?

[CanAm1]

llama66 wrote:

I'd love to see a movie about Vimy done as well, but am absolutely thrilled that Passchendaele is coming out and will see it in theaters. finally a movie about our military history. awesome.

Devil's Brigade was truly great. A little lax on facts but great none the less.

[llama66]

yeah the Devils Brigade was a great movie, I'd love to see more movies made about the Canadian war effort.

[Breeze]

I'm very anxious for this film to be released. Dossettd, that is very exciting that you were part of the crew as an extra. It would be fascinating to be involved in such an ambitious project and about a chapter in Canada's history. Thank you for the link to your site as well.

I'm quite impressed with Paul Gross. Did you see him in The Trojan Horse? I am impressed in general with the quality of Canadian productions on television. They've improved leaps and bounds over the years.

[PENATRATOR]

Yes, makes the Beachcombers seem very lame

[canuckns]

Does anyone happen to know if this is going to be released in the States?

[saturn_656]

Looking good I think.

[ridenrain]

Interesting review.

Quote:

Gross's interpretation of Canada's Great War history is decidedly modern. War, militarism, and bigotry are condemned in Passchendaele. The villain of the piece is not a German but a bald, fat, pompous, conniving British officer who struts about spouting imperialist nonsense until he finally goes to the front line, reveals himself to be a coward, and dies a miserable death. (I suspect German propagandists might have thought Gross laid it on a little thick.)

The hero, a Canadian soldier played by Gross, is everything the Brit is not. Honest. Plain-talkin'. Brave in battle. He has no use for politics, doesn't care how the war started, and is loyal only to his comrades in the trenches.

The sharp division Gross draws between Canadian and Brit -- with the British Empire shoved over to their side of the line, thank you very much -- is also thoroughly modern. Canadians today see this country as a sovereign nation with no special link to Britain. The British Empire is, at most, an embarrassing reminder of the time when we were colonial subordinates; for many, it is a costume drama set in India.

This neat division between "Canadian" and "British" is something Gross shares with John Ralston Saul [more on Mr Saul here, from Robert Fulford], and many others.

But interpreting early-20th century history through this prism is a serious mistake. The overwhelming majority of Canadians of the time saw "Canadian" and "British" as overlapping identities, just as Canada was a country and a proud part of the British empire. That we don't share this perception today is irrelevant. That is how "it actually was."..

http://www.canada.com/components/print. ... 5&sponsor=

[roger-roger]

I have some reservations about this movie, most of them being about Paul Gross, I have seen him act at Stratford, he was in Hamlet. It was awful, he did a horrible job as Hamlet, and his performance could be compared to a drunken first year arts student with Parkinson’s. I do hope he has gotten better.

[Hyack]

I just finished watched the movie, a mildly entertaining, somewhat corny love story interspersed with the occasional WW I action scene. As for any historical content of any significance it was sorely lacking. It should have been titled "Passchendaele - The Love Story", I'm just happy I didn't see it in the theater as I would have been very disappointed.

[jeff744]

Hyack wrote:

I just finished watched the movie, a mildly entertaining, somewhat corny love story interspersed with the occasional WW I action scene. As for any historical content of any significance it was sorely lacking. It should have been titled "Passchendaele - The Love Story", I'm just happy I didn't see it in the theater as I would have been very disappointed.

Agreed, I skip to the war part of the movie making for a very short but very awesome action bit.

[Scape]

YIJ did a better job of WWI action, I loved the flamethrowers stormtroopers with the horses wearing gas masks.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Hyack wrote:

I just finished watched the movie, a mildly entertaining, somewhat corny love story interspersed with the occasional WW I action scene. As for any historical content of any significance it was sorely lacking. It should have been titled "Passchendaele - The Love Story", I'm just happy I didn't see it in the theater as I would have been very disappointed.

Compared to the build up, I found it rather disappointing.