Mega Silents: First World War Double Bill

South West Silents is very excited to present this special double bill consisting of classic silent film The Battle of the Somme (1916) with Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, Paths of Glory (1957).

The Battle of the Somme (1916): 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 of The Battle of the Somme (1916). Soon afterwards, the film was distributed worldwide to prove Britain’s commitment to the First World War.

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 Army’s history – and depictions of the small gains and huge costs of the attack.

As a pioneering battlefield record, 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. Its use of a staged sequence to represent the opening of the assault also set the scene for continuing controversy about the ‘truth’ of a filmic record. If anything however, The Battle of the Somme is a piece of history and the key source of many of the conflict’s most iconic images.

The film with have live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne. With thanks to Imperial War Museums.

Paths of Glory (1957): Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is among the most powerful antiwar films ever made. A fiery Kirk Douglas stars as a World War I French colonel who goes head-to-head with the army’s ruthless top brass when his men are accused of cowardice after being unable to carry out an impossible mission.

This haunting, exquisitely photographed dissection of the military machine in all its absurdity and capacity for dehumanization (a theme Kubrick would continue to explore throughout his career) is assembled with its legendary director’s customary precision, from its tense trench warfare sequences to its gripping courtroom climax to its ravaging final scene.

We highly recommend booking tickets early to avoid disappointment!

South West Silents is a not-for-profit organisation. With support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK.