The Battle of the Somme

The Battle of the Somme

Geoffrey Malins (1886-1940) was one of two official British

photographers assigned to the Western Front during the First World

War. He is chiefly remembered today for the film The Battle of the

Somme shown to huge success in British cinemas in the late summer of

1916.Considered risky at the time, the decision to allow Geoffrey

Malins to compile a film based upon the initial attacks on the Somme

in July 1916 proved a massive success when put on general release in

late August and September that year. The completed film spanned five

reels and lasted 62 minutes and 50 seconds. Its first screening took

place to an invited audience at the Scala Theatre on the 10th of

August 1916, while the battle still raged. On 21st of August the film

began showing simultaneously in 34 London cinemas, opening in

provincial cities the following week. The Royal Family received a

private screening at Windsor Castle in September. The film was

eventually shown in 18 countries. Although it is estimated that some

twenty million tickets were bought for the film it was considered

overly graphic by some, sparking a correspondence on the matter in the

Times newspaper. In my essay I will explain whether the film was a

reliable source of information about The Battle of the Somme, or if

people were correct in believing that it was not reliable.

The film’s main aim was too ensure the British back home that the

British were doing well. If they did not achieve this aim the British

public and many people throughout Europe would try to stop war and

this is something the government did not want to happen. One of the

main key messages in the film was that the British were the better

side, this was shown by British helping injured German soldiers,

giving German’s cigarettes and even when caught the German prisoners

looked happy. Another key message in the film was how well equipped

the British were and that the British could easily destroy the German