Reviews on movie The Wipers Times (2)

21 October 2023 7 The Wipers Times, 2013, directed by Andy de Emmoni. The film tells a real story that took place during the First World War in one regiment of the British army, which fought in Flanders and France, the regiment was called Sherwood Foresters. It was the second year of the PMW, the battalion was stationed in Flanders, in the city of Ypres, when one day accidentally, collecting in the bombed-out surroundings everything that could be useful for strengthening the trenches, they accidentally came across in one building on a small printing press. No one would have guessed what this strange thing was, but there was a sergeant in the group who worked in a printing house in peacetime and explained what it was. The find prompted their commander, Captain Frederick Roberts (Ben Chaplin), to start publishing a newspaper, and not serious, but mostly acutely satirical, his deputy was Lieutenant John Pearson (Julian Reind-Tatt). The first issue came out with a circulation of 100 copies and the newspaper quickly became very popular, however, not everyone, there was one colonel in the headquarters who literally hated them, not least because they mocked those who sit in the headquarters, it is good that the more senior commander General Mitford (played by Michael Palin) supported them. The newspaper under different names was published with some interruptions until the end of the PMW, as was promised by Roberts, despite the fact that their regiment was repeatedly moved, the last issue was published in December 1918. Then they all went back to their previous activities - Roberts was a mining engineer by profession. According to the film, he tried to get a job in some publication, but his previous experience as an editor was not interested. The film was made well for this kind of film, with some theatrical elements, it is not surprising that then theatrical production of this story was carried out. Brits are known to love war stories as well as satire - "instead of crying in the trenches with fear, you'll laugh," "We've come a long way in the last eighteen months, haven't you?" I would say about thirty yards.
	Ludmila Ternikova

16 November 2016 9 All journalists must watch! The film, which tells about real events, is named after the newspaper, which was issued in the trenches of one of the regiments of the British army from 1916 until the end of the First World War - "Whipers Times", that is, "Pepper Times". And it all began with the fact that the soldiers of the brave Captain Roberts found in the ruins of an old printing press, fonts, paper. And then the sergeant was a typewriter ... How was it not possible to get your print out? Like newspapers. What kind? Since the captain with humor everything turned out to be more than perfect, as well as a number of his colleagues and subordinates, decided: to raise the mood of the soldiers, it will be humorous, densely sprinkled satire, that is, “with pepper”. So... watch this absolutely unparalleled, superbly shot, warm and kind movie! As you can probably guess, it literally sparkles with real English humor. Everything is executed in full seriousness, no one is fussy and crooked like Louis de Funes (except for the scenes of the “show”), but what a laugh from the rude, hitting at the very point of the front edges! This, if you don’t know, is the real thing! I was delighted by the work of Ben Chaplin (Roberts). It is organic, one in three persons - a heroic commander respected by soldiers, a talented, far-sighted editor of the Peretz Times and a staged entertainer of the trench "show" (the blood of a great ancestor affects!). But here’s what I thought: the case of such a frontline, democratic and independent “samizdat” in world practice is simply unique! After all, it is impossible to even imagine that a similar “battle leaf” was published by the Germans, Austrians, “tsarist” Russians. The editorial staff would immediately fall under the tribunal (even here the “perechnikov” was “covered” by an understanding philanthropist in large epaulettes)! And after the First World War, there was no talk about analogues (or do we not know?). In general, the Peretz Times is simply obliged to see all journalists. This instructive story is how people who were previously far from the media (Roberts, a mining engineer) become Real Journalists. It is not a matter of a journalism degree, but of vocation, talent (by the way, I am a physical geographer by training myself). And I also remembered how back in 1987, my best friend and I also engaged in samizdat - produced a typewritten music magazine "Vorokezh" (now included in various reference books and rock encyclopedias), so our film for me just native! And also... But stop it. That’s how much he awakened in me, for which I thank him very much. I did not find any noticeable shortcomings in this modest budget and scope of the television tape. Only virtues. And so (the rarest case for me!) I give him the highest (of real) assessment. 9 out of 10
	Albert Popov

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