FAQ

The plot is mostly fiction, but its origins can be traced back to stories that Sam Mendes' grandfather, Alfred Mendes, told to him when he was a boy. Like most, if not all war films, they are generally fiction inspired by true events.

The folk song "Poor Wayfaring Stranger," also known as "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger" sung by Jos Slovick.

In the final credits of the film, Jos Slovick is credited with singing "Wayfaring Stranger." He appears in the film, with his character named "Wayfaring Stranger Soldier." If you check his name on IMDb, he has six film credits as an actor to date, including small roles in "Les Misérables" and the television adaptation of "Howards End."

Britain used the Imperial measurement system until1965 and, since at least 1500, has used miles to measure speed and distance.

Having said that, Mark Strong would probably have relayed the distance in kilometres (spelled kilometers in French) as this is set in France and any milestones would have been measured that way.

"I don't want to die"

The flare wasn't used so they could be rescued. The Lieutenant who gave it to them did not think the soldiers would make it safely through the German lines, and told them to send up the flare if they got to the other side of the trenches. That would show him the Germans had indeed gone.

One of them is a Scouser (Liverpool) and another one a Cockney. There is also an Indian and a Scot and one from Ulster

Yes. At the time there were about 20,000 Black people living in Britain, mostly in seaports, and many joined their local regiments and served alongside white soldiers. There were also Black colonial units on the western front, such as the British West Indies Regiment.

Indian Expeditionary Force "A" also served on the Western Front from 1914 until late 1915. Indian cavalry units served in France for a longer period, but they would have been in their own units and not in British Army units. Indian soldiers would have served in the Indian Army, a different entity from the British Army. More than a million Indians served in their army during the war, the largest volunteer force raised.

Non-white soldiers mostly served in separate regiments under the command of White British officers, rather than mixed units as seen in this film, but there are photographs and records of ethnically mixed units.

The Germans before they left.

Yes, the VFX team created a digital plane crashing into a digital barn, which was then blended with a physical replica of the plane shot on location.

To light the area for German soldiers

No, as may be seen from old combat photographs, soldiers usually carried their rifles at chest or shoulder height without actually aiming them, positions known as 'port arms' or 'high port arms'. Upon seeing something at which to shoot, the rifle would have been raised for aiming, often called 'snap firing'. Though when searching an enemy base, where the enemy would be around any corner, it's wise to have your weapon ready and aimed where you're looking in case there was something to shoot at.

Thick leather vests have been used as a form of body armor since the times of the Romans. There are photographs of soldiers in WW1 wearing thick leather vests as protection against knife attacks. While the vest is infective against the stabbing attack by a bayonet or trench knife, it would have been very effective in protecting the torso against a "slashing" attack by these edged weapons. The two soldiers in the film, would have been issued leather vests since they were "penetrating enemy positions", to scout or as in the case of the film, deliver a message, behind or near enemy lines.

No. Films tend not to be remakes of books.