GUELPH POLITICAST #208 - The Real 1917

02/05/20 • 44 min

One of the likely contenders to win Best Picture at this year's Oscars is 1917, Sam Mendes' film about two soldiers racing through enemy territory on a mission to save hundreds of their fellow soldiers. It's good, but but how does the movie, and it’s exceptional attention to detail, stand up to the scrutiny of experts who know all the ins and outs of the Great War?

If you're a fan of 1917, and if you've been wondering about its historical accuracy, this week's edition of the podcast is for you. Fortunately in Guelph, we have some local expertise on the history of World War One in the form of of Ken Irvine, the Education Co-ordinator of Guelph Museums. If you’ve been to McCrae House, then you might have heard Ken Irvine bring the War, and the experiences of Col. John McCrae, to life for hundreds of area school children and other visitors.

Co-written and directed by Mendes, who is the Academy Award-winning director of American Beauty, 1917 has an interesting creative concept: it has shot and staged as if the two-hour movie unfolds as one continuous shot. It’s a logistical feat that’s been attempted before by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Alejandro G. Iñárritu, but never has anyone tried to use this storytelling device for a war movie. When we reviewed 1917 a few weeks back on End Credits, the question was there in the back of the mind, “What would the staff of McCrae House think of this movie?”

That brings us to this week's episode of the podcast, as Irvine walks with us though the plot of the movie and talk about whether Mendes’ attention to detail pays off for someone who lives the real history on a daily basis. We talk about the plausibility of the movie’s central mission, the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers fighting in the real 1917, and how well the two main characters represent the real soldiers in the British regiment on the Western Front. We will also discuss where historical accuracy goes wrong, and what Irvine would like to see in war movies that he’s never seen before.

So let's talk about the real 1917 versus the reel 1917 on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!

McCrae House is open Wednesdays from 1 to 5 pm or by appointment at 519-836-1221. To learn more about their programs and the collections, go to the Guelph Museums website. 1917 is currently in theatres everywhere, and the Oscars air this Sunday night. The eBar will be holding its annual watch party hosted by Athena McQueen starting at 6:30 pm.

The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.

Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

So let's talk about the real 1917 versus the reel 1917 on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast!

The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.

Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Previous Episode

Open Sources Guelph - January 30, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we will bear witness to the struggle for witnesses. It's another week, but it's the same old news south of the border as impeachment nears its end, or not. Up here in Canada, we've got drama of our own in the form of a leadership race that now has actual candidates. That's big news to cover, and we'll also make time to talk to a member of city council for whom CFRU is a constituent.

This Thursday, January 30, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

Party of Ward 5. Guelph City Councillor Leanne Piper had a pretty good week at city hall by getting her fellow councillors to support the intervener status of six B.C. municipalities at the Supreme Court hearing on the carbon tax. We'll talk to Piper about why that mattered, and we'll talk about how she's pushing developers on net zero, the last swim at Centennial Pool, the changes to development charges forced on the City by Bill 108, and all the other stuff that might be spinning around the horseshoe at this time.

Bolton Thrower. The lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump laid out his defense this week in the senate impeachment trial, which basically came down to, "he didn't do anything, and even if he did do it, it's not illegal." But before you can say "acquittal", former National Security Advisor John Bolton became part of the story again as early excerpts from his book are making it harder for so-called moderate Republican senators to politely decline witnesses with a clear conscious. We'll talk about the latest impeachment developments.

Peter Ran. The Conservative Leadership race finally become a race this week with two candidates making their nomination official. Peter MacKay has predictably thrown his hat in the ring, and set an immediate fresh tone by signing up to march in Toronto Pride. Erin O'Toole apparently had so much fun running in 2017 that he's going to do it again in 2020, but this time he's running against "cancel culture" and for Free Speech on university campuses. That sounds.... great, but why are so many high-profile potentials sitting this round out?

Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

Next Episode

End Credits - February 5, 2020 (Uncut Gems)

This week on End Credits, you won't need your whole seat You'll just need the edge! We're reviewing the high-wire act, impeccable thrill ride that is Uncut Gems, and before that we'll talk about Oscar snubs, Oscar predictions, and why Hollywood is still so film happy in our digital times.

This Wednesday, February 5, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:

Film Score. It was announced last week that the five major Hollywood studios have reached a new deal to buy film from Kodak for the next several years. Yes, physical film. And yes, Kodak is still in business. It seems surprising, but so many of Hollywood's biggest players, and more than a couple of Oscar nominees, are still big on film. Is film the new vinyl?

We Have Standards. Terry Moore, who is a member of the Academy after being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the 1950s, says the reason why frontrunners like Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Eddie Murphy weren't nominated is because they don't meet the high standards of what an "Oscar nominee" is according to members like her. Out of touch much?

The Prediction Business. The Oscars are awarded this Sunday, so in advanced of the physical awards being handed out, we're going to talk about who should win, and who will win in the four major categories, as well as the one category of our choice. Who do we think will go home with trophies, and are they the same people who should be going home with trophies?

REVIEW: Uncut Gems (2019). In Uncut Gems, the Safdie Brothers deliver a white knuckle ride that involves no car chases, no shoot outs and no stand offs. Adam Sandler plays a New York jeweler in the city's "Diamond District" who's precipitously staying one step ahead of what seems like every loan shark in the tri-state area, but is time catching up to him? The bigger question though: How the hell did a movie this good get *zero* Oscar nominations?

End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.