JOURNEY’S END

UK, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Sam Claflin, Paul Bettany, Stephen Graham, Asa Butterfield, Tom Sturridge, Toby Jones.
Directed by Saul Dibb.


Journey’s End was first performed on the London stage in 1928, 10 years after the events that it portrayed, six days in the trenches in March, 1918.

The play was written by R.C.Sheriff who also novelised the play with Vernon Bartlett. In fact, a film version of the play was made in 1930, directed by James to 6 who had directed the play on stage (with Laurence Olivier in the central role – but who was not available for the film version). Whale was to go on to make Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, Showboat.

This version comes almost 80 years after the play. The occasion is the centenary of the last year of World War I, once again the events being in March 1918, the expected assault by the Germans in northern France and its being reversed by the Allied troops, leading to the Armistice of November 11, 1918.

There have been a number of striking films about World War I, the psychological trauma effect in King and Country and Regeneration, the incompetency of the authorities in Paths of Glory, the trenches in Turkey in Gallipoli and The Water Diviner, and the Oscar-winning film that came out in the same year as the original Journey’s End, All Quiet on the Western Front.

As regards the portrayal of life in the trenches, this film can take an honourable place. While the opening takes place in San Quentin, in northern France, the British troops at an inn, their assembling and marching towards the trenches (“We’re Here because We’re Here�), going to the one six days, the allotted period for a squad to remain in the trenches before being replaced.


The production design for the trenches is quite powerful, the soldiers walking in the mud and slush, the height of the walls, some of the wood rotting after several years, designed to protect the men from snipers, the paths, the beds and bunks, the officers’ mess and kitchen. The audience is immersed in the trenches along with the men.

This film focuses on a group of officers although the men are seen assembled and, eventually, a squad of ordinary soldiers have to go over the top on a mission to capture a German soldier from their trenches in order to interrogate him and get information about the expected German assault.

We are introduced to a genial older officer, Osborne, who explains to the new recruit, Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), just come from school, asking his uncle, a general, to be assigned to the squad of the prefect that he admired at school, that most of the men call him Uncle. He is played very sympathetically by Paul Bettany – a listener, a man who can calm situations. However, the central character whom we have already seen marching at the head of his men out of the village is Stanhope, three years on service in France, brooding, the victim of wear and tear and responsibility, drinking heavily. He is dismayed that Raleigh, whose sister he had courted, should come and be a witness to his deterioration. Sam Claflin gives a powerful performance.

There are some intense scenes with Stanhope and his clashes with Raleigh, his demands on a fearful officer, Hibbard (Tom Sturridge), being supported by Osborne. However, there is some real light relief for the audience as well as the officers, including Stanhope, with the ever-ready cook, coping with the supplies (mysterious couplets and tins of pineapple which actually contain apricots), a likeable performance by Toby Jones.


The screenplay contains a great deal of the dialogue from the play and the 1930s film version (which is far more talkative and runs longer than this version). But, the action does come, Osborne and Raleigh chosen to go over the top to capture the German, heavy fire, heavy casualties though mission accomplished.

While there is a moment of peace as the audience sees Raleigh’s sister at home reading his complimentary letter about Stanhope, the final image is aerial, over the devastation and destruction of the trenches, the information about the German advance, its being repelled, the memory of the horrifying statistics of so many millions, allies and Germans, killed during World War II.

Direction is by Saul Dibb who made the entertaining historical film, The Duchess as well as a gritty story of East London, Bullet Boy.

1. A memoir of World War I, the trenches in France, 1918? The play, the novel? Earlier film versions?

2. 2018, memories of the centenary of the end of World War I? Commemorating the war in the trenches, the loss of millions of lives?

3. The title, sad, regrets?

4. Audience knowledge of World War I, of the war in Northern France, the trenches, the troops embedded against each other? The role of the British, the Germans? The French? Embedded in the trenches? Millions dead? And World War II 21 years later?

5. The film focusing on a microcosm, the squad, British, officers and men, six days at the front, living quarters in the trenches, the psychological interactions, action, deaths?

6. The Germans, the trenches, the planned attack to end the war? The British being ready? The Germans attacking for three months, the devastation, the Allies in taking over the gained land? The armistice by November?

7. The tone, the opening in the village, the troops, at the inn, friendly, humid and his kissing the girl, spun and his rep remand? Stanhope and he is leading the troops, the march, singing We’re Here Because We’re Here’? The spirit of the troops?

8. The squad leaving, the new squad moving in, the nature of the trenches, the depth, the slush, the living quarters, food, the rotten wood? The officers’ quarters, the rooms and the beds? The meals? The kitchen? The food supplies, supplies being brought in?

9. Raleigh, his arrival, young, going to see the general, his uncle, making the request, the general’s reaction, his being appointed? Stanhope and his not wanting him in the squad?

10. The titles and dates for the six days of March, the settling in, the nature of the mission, the officials and their visit, the plan, the abduction of the German, getting the information about the attack? The choices for the officers to lead, the choices of the men, Stanhope going through the trench and the men being named?

11. Life in the trenches, for the ordinary men, camaraderie, supplies, fears, young?

12. Life in the trenches for the officers, Osborne and his being benign, called Uncle, listening to the men, sympathetic? Stanhope and his drinking, hardened, the memories of school, the relationship with Kate? Trotter, a good and decent man, criticised as having no imagination but doing his duty? Mason, the cooking, waiting, sensitivity to the men? Turner as his assistant? Hibberd, his fears, the touch of cowardice, his sexual preoccupations? Stanhope’s treating of him, challenging him, getting him to lead out into the trenches?

13. Being ready for the assault, Osborne taking the command on the chin, Raleigh and his eagerness? The conversation and the final six minutes, possessions on the table, Osborne writing the letter and then burning it, the conversation about the memories of the woods?

14. The mission, the explosions, the timing, going over the top, the machine-gunning, the run, the deaths and wounding? The German, the trenches, the German shooting, grabbing the soldier, returning, the number of deaths? Raleigh surviving?

15. Raleigh sitting on Osborne’s bed, Stanhope’s reaction, anger, weeping? Raleigh going to eat with the men? Stanhope demanding that he return to the table?

16. The aftermath, Kate at home, the letter arriving, Raleigh and his praising of Stanhope?

17. The aerial view of the trenches, the devastation, massacre? The final information about the retaking of the land by the Allies?

18. A film of war, comment on courage, but a picture of the futility of war?