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Tom is a young guy eager to join the British army and help the Allies win World War II. Quickly, he’s introduced to the new code of conduct and regulations he must abide by. We follow him as he stumbles through it all; from basic training to actual combat. From his down time enjoying the company of a nice girl to his departure to take part in Operation Overlord, Tom increasingly becomes more and more disillusioned not only with the war, but also with himself and his place in the world.

Simply put, this is a film buff’s wet dream. The cinematography alone will make you practically cream your jeans. Then when you think about how the filmmakers were somehow able to actually pull off that amalgamation of genres into a potable minimalistic story…well, that might send you over the edge. It’s a shame this film hasn’t been released theatrically before now, more than a quarter-century after its completion. Not only is it an amazingly strong piece of awe-inspiring filmmaking, but it’s also probably the only truly effective experimental narrative feature to be made within that time span.

Every serious film student and hardcore aficionado owes it to themselves to see this film. John Alcott’s cinematography (“A Clockwork Orange”) is simply breathtaking. Although a good portion of the film was created using archival war footage, the original compositions are poignant reflections of Tom’s emotional state, from naïve, curious young soldier up through his embittered ever growing sense of despair. If it were made today, you’d swear up and down that these shots were computer generated. There’s no way the camera could possibly capture that massive rolling piece of out of control machinery as it rampaged through the beach and then settled perfectly on the left third of the frame, providing the perfect foreground image for the backdrop of the soldiers’ battle at Normandy. I bet there are other people working today that have the skill level to pull that off, but the producers or directors would have no desire or need for them to attempt some of these shots that can be compiled in post. But you just don’t get the same feeling from the frames the cold computer touched. These shots are much more meaningful and powerful not only because they are astoundingly beautiful and poetic while at times being gritty and dangerous, but because they were crafted by hand. Some people may not think that element comes through the projection screen, but I certainly do.

The mainstream most likely wouldn’t take to this movie very easily. That’s probably a big factor as to why the film, completed in 1975 has not had a non-festival theatrical release until now in 2006. I’m sure there are several factors taken into account. But this isn’t going to be “Saving Private Ryan” (although both films portray that battle with very different senses of hopelessness and chaos). There is a solid narrative thread, but ultimately not a whole lot happens within it. The movie is very visually based and draws from many genres to create its ever-changing atmosphere. The aforementioned found footage often substitutes for insert shots and can be seen most of the time the actors don’t appear on the screen. They also help to indicate the passage of time. Anytime a montage of war images comes up, you know Tom just got worse. There is a bit of a romantic subplot here, but it’s very basic and non-Hollywood as it culminates in an odd dream sequence. The whole film really strays from your typical formula, but still turns out coherent and effective.

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