Private Peaceful [DVD] (2012)

This low budget film directed by Pat O'Connorwas a bit of a curates egg for me. Good in parts.As an attempt to commit Michael Morpurgo's novelwritten for older children to the big screen itwas OK, but there were significant changes to thebook and the front line trench warfare set lookedunrealistic and quickly thrown together to me.It is primarily the story of two brothers, Charlieand Tommo played brilliantly by Jack O'Connell andGeorge Mackay who grow up among the farming communityin Devon in the early 1900's and like many boys oftheir era soon find themselves in the arena of WW1.What spoiled it for me was that the trenches lookedtoo new and unused. We could clearly see the newlyprepared wood and shine of the corrugated metal usedto shore up the trenches, so much so that it lookedas if the group of Devonshire lads had just beendropped onto an unused film set, which of course itwas.Whether the whole thing was done to 'protect' today'schildren from gaining too much of an impression ofthe realities of warfare, I am unsure,but it hid much of the filth, stress and state of utter desperation that other films of the genre so readilyconvey.We must look to the acting and characters for any senseof reality. The strong bond of brotherly love brilliantlyportrayed by the young actors was almost tangible as was,the total brutish, almost psychopathic nature of SergeantHanley which John Lynch played convincingly well.The film works, in that it gives a glimpse into the unfairtreatment of soldiers during this period of British historyand the injustices of the 'justice' dished out by the militarycommanders of the day, who conducted the war on their termsalone. Worth watching.

I didn’t expect much from this film other than a pleasant couple of hours of story but it’s actually quite good, I’d recommend it.

Its no Warhorse but still a good film . Some nice acting and a twist at the end .

Well acted and well paced. A good film version of the book, though the story is quite bleak for a film aimed at children.

It is a well acted film and a carefully selected cast. But some of the subtexts of the book are missed and so the film doesn't make sense. One scene (I wont spoil it for you) has 2 characters where one is jealous of the other yet they miss the back story of the letter delivering and times shared that caused the jealousy.OK Sunday afternoon type film though

I enjoyed this film with a great story by an amazing author well acted really graphic scenes well worth watching

Watched this with my grandchildren. We were all gripped and moved by this story about World War 1 and its devastating effect on so many lives.

Good film. Told a very poignant story. Well acted by all.