Deathwatch

Deathwatch

Director: Michael J. Bassett

Year: 2002

Starring: Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis

     When thinking about World War I films, there aren't many that come to mind. Deathwatch is a World War I film. but not one you'd expect. The film is actually a horror film set in the trenches of the war. It's interesting because that's not a typical setting for a horror film. 

     The trenches of the war is a perfect environment for a horror story to take place, given how terrible the conditions are. Now add a supernatural, slasher element, and you've got quite an interesting film. The story is simple: A group of British soldiers encounter a German trench, and immediately take it over, taking the one German soldier remaining hostage. As the soldiers remain in the trench, weird things start happening as each soldier is killed off one-by one. 

     This film is by all means, not a masterpiece, and it's certainly not flawless. I'd consider it more of a slasher film than a war film, but it blends the two enough together to consider it either or. Andy Serkis steals the show as a borderline psychotic soldier who has had enough of his officers, and eventually meets his demise at the end of the film (rather creatively, I must say). Jamie Bell also gives a great performance as a soldier who's torn between what is right, and what must be done (The two actors would reunite to play Tintin and Haddock in Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin nine years later).

     The plot get's a lot of criticism, but I don't see why. The story is very simple, and it's not that hard to follow. The action is confined to the trenches, so it keeps the story, and the action, to one place, and it doesn't get overly complicated. The historical accuracy however, is probably the biggest flaw. The soldiers use weapons that weren't in use until World War II, and some insignia on the uniforms weren't around until after the war. It sounds like nit-picking, but it doesn't really matter with a film of this nature. 

     Deathwatch is a film for the curious, and for slasher/horror fans. If you want to see what a trench was like back in the First World War, then this film nails that down perfectly. Don't expect an over dramatic story with emotional and narrative depth, in fact, expect the opposite. It's a film you would've rented on a Friday night with a bunch of friends out of curiosity, and becomes the film you all love to hate.