The Battle of The Somme (film) - Reception and Impact

Reception and Impact

British soldiers at rest in France also saw the film: here it provided new recruits with some idea of what they might soon face. The soldiers' main complaint was the failure of the film to capture the sound of battle. However, for a silent film, the titles could be remarkably forthright, describing images of injury and death.

British authorities showed the film to the public as a morale-booster and in general it met with a favourable reception. The Times reported on August 22, 1916 that "Crowded audiences...were interested and thrilled to have the realities of war brought so vividly before them, and if women had sometimes to shut their eyes to escape for a moment from the tragedy of the toll of battle which the film presents, opinion seems to be general that it was wise that the people at home should have this glimpse of what our soldiers are doing and daring and suffering in Picardy".

By contrast others considered it immoral to broadcast scenes of violence, the Dean of Durham protesting "against an entertainment which wounds the heart and violates the very sanctity of bereavement". Others complained that such a serious film shared the cinema programme with comedy films. The British public responded to the film massively, purchasing an estimated 20 million tickets in two months. On this basis, The Battle of the Somme remains one of the most successful British films ever made.

However, historians believe that a lot of the available footage was censored from the final version shown to the public, as the War Office wanted the film to contain footage that would support the war effort and raise morale, which it did very successfully.

The film was shown in New Zealand in October 1916. On 12 October Wellington's Evening Post ran an advertisement for the film, describing it as 'the extraordinary films of "the big push"' and 'an awe-inspiring, glorious presentation of what our heroes are accomplishing today'. In a review published on 16 October, the paper concluded that 'these pictures of the Battle of the Somme are a real and valuable contribution to the nation's knowledge and a powerful spur to national effort'.