The Wipers Times

'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.

A really refreshing take on the First World War, with gallows humour aplenty. Definitely worth a watch for the perfectly judged performances by Chaplin, Palin and Rhind-Tutt. Sadly, the story doesn't really go anywhere and just fizzles out, so not quite a top rating, but so close.

Based on a true story, this manages to balance the surreal, dry humor of the paper itself, with the story of the paper itself - how it was produced and how it attracted opprobium from the top brass - and also the WWI experience of an officer in the trenches, dealing with the men, the war, and the conditions. The humor for me was more clever than laugh out loud, but is excellently observed. The characters are well sketched and excellently acted. And the extracts from the paper itself are illuminating, in terms of what they reveal about the soldiers (or at least the officers) and their view of the war.

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.

Trigger alert: Contains dry British humor and (not surprisingly) Monty Python-esque skits.

World War I: key word: WAR. Of course this movie isn't a laugh a minute. But wait... it kind of IS a laugh a minute. Dry, sardonic laughs in communion with trench Tommies pulling themselves out of the mud with humor, eye-rollers to bad limericks, satisfied guffaws to the desk brass being given a good ribbing.

The cast is brilliant (I love when actors I know best from another role make me completely forget they're anyone but Capt. Roberts, or Lt. Pearson, or Dodds, or...Michael Palin). The production completely brings alive outdated jokes and stories from a war over for a century already. The ending is completely satisfactory.

If you're not a student of history, keep Google at hand to look up some quick references. If you are a history buff, prepare to laugh, and tear up (a little). THE WIPERS TIMES is funny, sad, poignant, and funny. And splendid.