The War Below

I recently watched an absolute shambles of a WW1 film called "Forbidden Ground" from 2013. That film was made on a budget in the region of $40 million. The film spent more time up in the actors faces that you would wonder what exactly the money went towards. Then I seen this film, "The War Below", made on a very low budget of around 500,000 pounds. The set-design values, namely the trenches, looked a thousand times better, or rather, were utilised better in this film. Obviously, it is no "1917", but "The War Below" definitely stands tall and I would rank among the best WW1 productions. It would give its natural equivalent, "Beneath Hill 60", a good run at the races. Like that movie, the film follows the story of a group of civilian tunnellers arriving in the trenches of Europe during the Great War. They are tasked with digging beneath No Mans Land and planting enough explosives beneath the German trenches to destroy them and end the bloody stalemate once and for all.

Everyone deserves praise for this film but what truly stood out to me was the cinematography by Nick Cooke. There are some beautiful shot scenes of spring fields and soldiers walking through them and obviously he had a hand to play in bringing the trenches to life.

My great grandad was one of those miners. Taken from the coalfields of Mansfield to join the Royal Engineers. And he came home.

The acting was great - the reflection of history now on Haig comes across well as with other officers.

But the courage and determination of those diggers is extraordinary. I don't want to give spoilers as I'd rather people watch it.

It is not Bourne! I thought the balance between planning, action and highlighting the bravery of these men is well worth a watch.

My husband loves watching war films, especially when they portray little known, amazing stories.

This is one of those, he knew that it actually happened but to see it re-enacted was so interesting, even for me.

Don't take any notice of the negative reviews, miners have a very specific skill, that's why mining was a protected profession.

The Royal Engineers would have been employed elsewhere, doing what they did best, built bridges, re-built roads, they weren't there for digging.

It was interesting to see the difference between the trained soldiers and the miners, both had integrity and bravery but in different ways!

If you enjoy seeing true stories of real people who made valuable contributions to, in this case, winning WWI, you'll enjoy this!

The kind of film that is hard to find today. Better than 1917. Story, direction, acting, editing/pacing, and set design all first rate. Photography is sublime, as is the music. Nearly flawless all around. No modern messaging here. Rather, 'The War Below' is an intimate "true story" film played out in believable understated fashion, acknowledging the sacrifices made by four everyday men who did something extraordinary (what most thought could not be done) to help end the "Great War". A fabulous film and highly recommended.

The film is actually very good for its tiny budget - surprisingly good to be honest.

It's obviously no 1917, and I wasn't sure want to make of it at first, but you get into it and I'm glad I stuck with it, because by the end I was totally engrossed. A poignant ending and a fine tribute to the miners of WWI.

I would recommend it, and would equally watch it again.