1917 Screenwriter Explains Why Hollywood Doesn't Make More World War I Films
When you look at the history of war movies, World War II is the war that is covered the most. There are so many stories to tell that take place during that war. But what about World War I? There are a ton of fantastic, courageous, intense, and inspiring stories to be told that happened during that war as well!
I’ve always wondered why Hollywood doesn’t tell more stories that are set during World War I, especially when you see an incredible film like 1917! I would love to see more films that tell the stories of the men and women who served in WWI, but according to 1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, there are several factors as to why Hollywood isn’t interested in these films. She explained in an interview with CinemaBlend:
“Here's the thing: it's usually compared against the second World War. [In] the Second World War, you've got very clear villains in the Nazis, just the worst people ever. You've also got movement throughout the land, whereas World War I was literally people entombed in trenches. Like buried six feet underground essentially, for three years, just lobbing munitions at each other and then trying to like move each other inches each way. So it's really hard to tell a dynamic story through that that isn't just trenches and mud.”
What’s interesting about that for me, is that’s why I’m so intrigued by WWI. Those are all the reasons that make those WWI stories interesting and dynamic to me! I want movies that tell the insanely gritty stories of what it was like to be a soldier in WWI. While she offers an explanation, I still don’t see what the problem is. Sure, it might be a more difficult undertaking, but that’s all the more reason to make these films. She goes on to talk about what made 1917 different:
“And the good thing about 1917 was we found a specific window of time, April 6, 1917, when a huge swath of land opened up where the Germans had disappeared one morning and had fallen back, and the English didn't know what was going on. You get to really play the confusion of warfare, the kind of madness of World War I, but you get to play it over a proper journey. And so you get a window into all of the war, rather than just trenches and mud.”
I really did love that aspect of the film. 1917 is one of my favorite movies of 2019 and I highly recommend that you go see it when it gets its wide theatrical release later this week. Some other amazing films that have been set during WWI include All Quiet On The Western Front, War Horse, and Lawrence of Arabia. I just wish that Hollywood made more of them. At least when they are made these days, they end up being great!