The Wipers Times

The Wipers Times is written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman and based on a true story when in 1916 Captain Roberts, Lieutenant Pearson and their men find and commandeer an old printing press and publish issues of a satirical magazine while under fire in the trenches from Harry Hun. The name of the rag is derived from Ypres which some of the troops could not pronounce.

The satire is punched home by some sepia tinged sketches bringing a music hall feel. Just as in the film Good Morning Vietnam the superiors are not impressed by the anarchic humour especially against the officers who are sitting far, far behind the soldiers in the trenches.

The only exception being the offbeat and shrewd General played by Michael Palin who recognises that behind the irreverent tone is courage, bravery and soldiers just making the best of the mayhem.

This is a low budget made for television film starring Ben Chaplin and Julian Rhind-Tutt who act like they are free wheeling it in order to keep in with the satirical tone.

It makes a change from the slew of films we have recently had about The Great War which has the theme of war is hell and so many young men died.

A delightfully different look at The Great War. The mud, terror, futility of the Great War is well known - even among today's high school students, I trust. But it was not without its moments - the 1914 Christmas truce; collaborations on the front line (we'll send a few bombs over at the same time each day just to keep our Officers happy - make sure you take cover); and the Wipers Times.

This is the story of two enterprising British officers (Cpt. Fred Roberts and Lt. J.H. Pearson) who sought to relieve the misery of the front line with humor and sarcasm - especially pointed at the British General Staff officers - by publishing a periodical. Those who know much about the Great War know it was a exercise in futility and incompetence - especially demonstrated by those who were leading the conflict - on both sides. If you are interested in the futility of the war read "Back to the Front" by Stephen O'Shea - a scathing indictment of the British General Staff in WWI.

While The Wipers Times reflects this incompetence, it focuses on the ability of two men to make fun of the situation on the Western Front by sarcastically pointing out the inconsistencies, hypocrisies, elitism and disregard for the "Tommys" (the troops who were actually fighting the war), by those leading the war.

Throughout the drama, the total lack of "getting it" was demonstrated by Lt. Col Howfield as he expressed outrage at the jokes and barbs being made about the war and especially at the expense of the General Staff. He regularly approached his superior, General Mitford (played by Michael Palin - who surely recognizes a joke when he sees it) with outrage about the content of the front line periodical. To his credit Mitford saw the humor and benefit of the times and supported it.

One of the highlights of the film is when Howland launches a surprise inspection of Captain Fred Roberts' post - suspecting that Roberts was responsible for the Times. The dialogue between Howland and Roberts was hysterical - demonstrating that in more ways than one - the General Staff did not "get it."

The acting is good, the staging superb. Although not on the same plane as "Great War Diaries" or "Beneath Hill 60" - both superb dramas about the War, this film makes a fitting contribution to understanding the Great War. Soldiers on the front line live the absurdities of war and embrace the gallows humor that war brings. We civilians get a small glimpse of it in this drama.

If you like the Great War or clever use of words, you will enjoy this film.

You can read edition 1 of The Wipers Times at

http://www.welt.de/bin/wipers-152118514.pdf

DonB

'The Wipers Times (2013)' is about a group of soldiers in WWI who come across a printing press while stationed in Ypres and decide to produce a satirical newspaper to give the troops the gift of laughter while they endure trench warfare. The piece is based on a relatively interesting true story and sort of seeks to explore the Great War from a new perspective. Though it looks like an episode of 'Doctor Who (2005-)' and is generally rather confined due to its budget, it's an admirable attempt at recreating the period and it has a certain rustic charm to it. It sometimes blends the horrors of war with the comping mechanism of humour rather well, peeling back the characters' surface of detached wit to reveal a much darker truth about their experience, but it leans far more into comedy than drama even though it's quite dry overall. It's never boring, but it doesn't really have a sense of escalation. It's also too long for its own good. Yet, the narrative is compelling enough for what it is and the cutaway gags, which play out like the skits from 'Horrible Histories (2009-2022)', are generally enjoyable. It's a solid effort overall.

In a world wherein we are all too often confronted with the tragic waste that is warfare, this heart-rending and thought-provoking treatment of our world's first war stands tall amidst a cohort of war films that glorify war while trivializing the loss it represents. An entire generation of Englishman were lain down in the mud of the European theater, and while many poets, writers and historians have made much of the tragedy of this affair, few have the courage to satirize it. As only the men who witnessed its absurdity could tell us, this is the relation of Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, two men among many who were forced to endure a what was at times a senseless conflict. Their only hope for sanity in an insane situation was to cling to that which humanizes us all; our sense of humor.

If you have ever considered the pointless nature of large-scale conflict, the tragedy of war itself, or the despair of the man as he returns home from the front to a people who do not grasp the enormity of what he has faced, then you must see this film.

Co written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman this tells the story of Fred Roberts and his lieutenant and friend Jack Pearson. While based in Ypres, Belgium they discover a near working printing press. Their Sergeant used to work in newspapers and with his help they set up a satirical magazine and name it 'The Wipers Times' – in honour of the way 'Tommie's pronounce Ypres.

They go for the ludicrous – where ever possible - and often take a swipe at those in command, but the paper is a hit and soon they are getting noticed. This is set during the destruction and slaughter of World War I and that is included in the film, as well as mustard gas, food shortages and the filth of the trenches. The film recreates some of the sketches from the papers as black and white pieces using the same characters and this adds to the surreal nature of the paper and how it was a break from reality for those that read it.

Starring Ben Chaplin as Roberts and Julian Rhind-Tutt as Pearson who are both perfect castings for their respective roles, this was produced by the BBC to mark the anniversary of 'The Great War', along with other memorable films and series. This I felt was one of the best and dealt with an aspect of war that is often missed out, at one time it is said that 'war is nothing more than wallowing in a dirty ditch'; well this proved that humour could take men out of that ditch if even for a short time. Absolutely recommended and a credit to all involved in its production.