Benighted - WWII Short Film
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Here is our multi-award winning short that we made in our graduation year!
May 1940, Sergeant Albert Kent and his beleaguered squad are retreating to Abbeville. Corporal Pony Moore begins to question Kent's decisions instigating a schism of leadership. Whilst both are insisting they are right, the German forces draw closer.
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My father was pinned under a tank with two other soldiers in Poe valley Italy and they were out of ammunition and being overrun by the Germans when they were saved by the air corps showing up and driving the Gerry’s back to the Stone Age river. I just learned about this last year from my 97 year old aunt who is my father’s sister. And now I know why he said thank you to uncle Eddie every time we went over there because uncle Ed was in the air corps. Long live the allied forces between our countries ❤️
@@danielreichert2025 This is easily in the top 10 greatest comments I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading on RUclips!!! My grandfather was in the Army Air Corps, and although he flew the B-25 Mitchell and probably wouldn’t have done danger-close air support, I know for a fact that he’d have risked his life for your father and the brave men at his side without a second thought. 🇬🇧 + 🇺🇸 LONG LIVE the Grand Alliance!
@@ScottySundown That's a great comment too from yourself. Just sharing and liking and no arguments and such like. Thank you both.
Great work by all involved in the production! Dont listen to the armchair warriors, realism isnt achieved by having the correct anticlockwise fastening on a rifle sling, this is cinema and realism is judged by emotional reaction you generate. My granddad was in the BEF, left britain with a full head of thick black hair, fought his way back to Dunkirk, lost his mates, had his hair turned snow white for the rest of his life. It was 50 years after the war before he would talk about it, and what he did say is remarkably (and hauntingly) similar to this film. Thank you.
@@pieterrosesmissen1589 thanks for this and for your grandfathers service. We tried so hard to make it accurate by reading war journals at the time so to hear that it’s come off well is a real pleasure.
This would have been nothing short of gross incompetence in leadership. 12 years in the regular service the worst I could have never imagined. The BEF was a regular professional soldier. The producers of this rubbish should have done some time.
Knew a guy who was the only survivor of his unit in the Battle of the Bulge. Called him Whitey. His hair went white after seeing his comrades wiped out.
Suspect there’ll be a lot of white-haired young guys out there very soon.
I'll be the lone dissenter to your comment. The last but not least step in presenting a "realistic" war drama is indeed correct uniforms, insignia, kit, weapons and tactics. Attention to those details is what truly separates the mundane from the sublime.
I know what you mean about veterans not talking about their experiences. My dad was an aerial gunner in the Pacific. They did a lot of damage with incendiary bombing raids that flattened structures and burned up civilians. Small wonder if they would rather talk about something else.
My father was at the Bulge in his first night of combat on Christmas Eve 1944 with the 75th INF. His unit left a hedge row to walk across open fields of pristine snow on a moonlit night into what they were told was an American occupied village. They were met with a hail of German artillery and machine gun fire from one of the SS Panzer Divisions leading one of the German pinchers. It was horrifying pandemonium as survivors ran like hell to get back to the hedge row. War is so full of mistakes that cost mens lives.
German artillery spotter: Okay Sir, I’ve zeroed in on the enemy Rifle Squad by tracking all the yelling.”
Budget of around 15 quid and a couple of rounds of beers, brilliant.
In winter in the UK somewhere.
This was so well done. I often ask myself how small skirmishes went, as we are always shown big battles, every game and every movie... while the wars were fought in so many ways.
well done - I am guessing the Sergeant was a veteran of WW1 and knew what to expect....
That was the idea! Nice to see you noticed:)
Yes!
Aside from the wrong era of equipment for this period of the war and post war battledress on some, this was still incredibly well done, mostly the dialogue and cinematography and the special effects.
@@joshualoynes7408 thanks for the comment :) Haha yeah on a student budget it was hard work to get the right kit :’)
@66DaysFilm doesn't matter when the writings done right 👍🏻
Equipment? Who cares
Spot on, the elites orchestrate forever wars, exellent 4 depop and profit ,
Yeah the iPhone you used to post your comment was wrong Era. Be best
Whining and insubordination are the death of a unit.
Louie is a piece of work…
so is walking through a field the old man was right the young punk was an idiot
I think it was German bullets that were the death of this unit.
@@johnbookjans5884 That and willingly walking out into an open field on the frontline...
@@johnbookjans5884 The German bullets were a result of whining and insubordination, not the cause.
This amazing film does justice to the horror of war as experienced by the forces struggling to survive a relentless invasion. Well done!
I agree. Ive never been a soldier but im pretty sure shouting at the top of your lungs on patrol is frowned upon
its fired upon
or standing out in the fucking open!
Or walking in a close group. No platoon would do any of that.
My biggest fear, a huge opening surrounded by tree lines.
You just KNEW that wasn't going to lead to rainbows and unicorns!
This must be loudest soldiers ever in history of warfare.
The yanks used to carry portable boom boxes out on patrol in Vietnam. You clearly know nothing about history or soldiering. Stick to COD, champ ;)
Meanwhile the Americans where using physiological noise methods to disrupt the germans, to replicate much bigger units intentionally, learn your history mate.
@yuriyvolikov4709 I'm a soldier, historian & History Channel filmmaker .... thanks "champ" did you do catering on the "movie" hence the chest pains & tampnbleed?
@yuriyvolikov4709 cause that was phsyops.
true professionals... do it quietly, like rogues in WoW!
Shocking good representation of a small unit rear-guard action. I applaude this production. Wel done. Keep it up.
We worked hard on it so appreciate this comment a lot!
"Better you than me." Often said to me
when on duty and with danger close.
My usual reply was, 'Watch your 6' .
My Father served in North Africa. Never spoke of his experiences to me. Much later, one thing that I learnt from my Aunt, was that his Captain jumped off a truck in front of him and was shot dead. We really cannot appreciate the fear and horror, unless you have been there. My respect to all combatants. My anger to those who place them there.
Good stuff. We need more of this. Thanks for making it.
You folks have a great career ahead of you. Keep going!
Shoulda stuck to the tree line, like sarg said.
Sergeant usually knows better than corporal 😅
It is wrong to walk in groups
@@mortheus7727 That 's why the Schützenreihe was invented ...
@@RobinMardner that s mean walk in distance or?
@mortheus7727 Yes ... one after the other in a certain distance.
I suppose movies like the drama but these types of arguing and insubordination is very rare. I was in the army and sure not everyone was happy all of the time but we all did our part, as we were trained to do. Well shot this though.
Very talented, this is awesome for low budget short movies.. i can see this project is only the first step of ur big success in the future
Thank you ! Hopefully we can keep creating.
I enjoyed that. The effects & acting were very good. Well done.
The horrors of war and despair. My grandpa who was at Pearl Harbor and Guadalcanal talked about some of these horrors. God Bless that generation!!!
Very good story and acting about the misfortunes of War. When defeated, who wants to fight on? When moral is low, who can fight on? When there is the ultimate confrontation with the enemy, this shows in how they resist, thus very badly. Emotions are taking over, training and determenation are lost.
No heroes in this confrontation, but raw reality, and it is bad. War is humans own most terrible nightmare. We can stop it, but we are not able to do so.
One thing to mention; the War in the West did start in may, all trees are green in that period. Here the trees are still bare, must be march or so. Otherwise, very well made!
Thanks for the profound words! You totally get what the film is about though and that's great to see :D
The film was initially inspired by a Tim O'Brien quote 'If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie.' and we really wanted to communicate the essence of this.
Haha very sharp eye there, we did film early March (had our hands tied on that one!)
@66DaysFilm your freedom to express your ideas freely was bought and paid for by the sacrifice of troops and civilians who would not accept the fascist dictator and his war criminals.
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
Right now another sovereign democratic nation has been invaded by another dictator who will be defeated by the people of Ukraine and all who stand for their freedom.
There's no lie in the national defence of your homeland, and the families in it. 🇺🇦🇬🇧💛💙
Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦 Slava Heroyam 🇺🇦
It was surely a very well made film, showcasing the madness and impossibilities of war. No one truly knows what their reaction will be, in a confrontation of that scale, no matter their temperament, or training. Congratulations on a truly impressive job!!!
So true, that's what I had learnt from the autobiography the film is inspired by. War is chaos. But thank you for your comment, really does mean a lot to us:)
@@66DaysFilm What is the name of the autobiography? Thank you.
@@blockboygames5956 Survivor of the Long March: Five Years as a PoW 1940-194 - Charles Waite.
1940's men played by 2020's men.
I know doesn't really work does it.
This film was so powerful. This must be a professional production.
Nicely done! Great work all round in all departments.
Shame they didn't get expert advice on basic Infantry tactics. E.g. too much standing around in the open; bunching; no back packs; and no point man.
when you are not moving you are digging fox holes or graves
Aye. 1 well tossed fragmentation device.
This is a one act play, not an epic.
It's a short, not a biopic film based on fully accurate facts, as if any are 😅
Doesn't matter... Homie still speaks truth.
A series or films would be welcome. Well done.
wow, i really loved the dialogues and the acting - this short film is really impressive in its "simplicity" and quite underated !
Hey thanks so much for the comment:) we poured our heart and soul into this!
Ayaw found ur channel randomly lol
I love low budget films that don’t look low budget. Decent acting and film angles. Great job all around!
A very good movie !
The sarge had been here before, about 20 years before
Right. It's also military doctrine 101.
never stand on top of a ridge line
First thing that grabbed me too. Exposed himself on that ridgeline with the sky behind him. Far too easy to see.
I felt bad for Louie, everyone getting on his case when he's clearly scared, far from home, and suffering from some sort of severe head wound which probably wasn't helping his decision making and actions.
He got the entire squad killed. Screaming and yelling and holding everyone up in the middle of an open field.
Ignoring issues others have mentioned this is an extremely well produced short film. The aircraft effects were better than I have seen in quite a few recent multi million dollar projects. Nice work. I hope you all move on to bigger things, but you should always be proud of this.
Very well done and very touching. Hats off!
Damn great narrative! I’d like to see more😌🙏🏾
And that is why you need to act like disciplined men, not squabbling children in battle.
Some didn't choose to be there
Amazing short film!
Very well-made film, Hollywood could learn from this. Remarkable character development in a short time. Moving and tragic.
Completely believeable!
I understand that it's got a limited budget but the sergeant's stripes suddenly appearing on his tunic was a shock.
They were a very useful unit
Could totally relate to the Pvt with the head dressing questioning why they were there. Had the same feeling in Afghanistan.
Well, I gave it three minutes, but could watch no more. NOBODY in that situation is going to speak so loud that the enemy can hear them from a mile away! Nobody!
These men were almost screaming at each other.
Bad writing. Insulting.
I do not agree. I have witnessed people acting like this!
Brilliant.
Excellent work. It would be nice to see a full length film from this production team.
Many of the WW1 veterans with the BEF performed well using their experience to good effect. During the Early period of the war a Royal Scots officer who had gained his commission as a result of a battlefield promotion made a stand using third line of communication troops and was told to hold a bridge for 48hrs. He held out for much longer than that, destroyed 16 german tanks in the action and was able to retire back and return to the UK with his remaining men and his artillery pieces. This is all lost to history for the most making it seem like the British Army had no early success in the popular view.
BEF kicked ass in the beginning, just unreliable partners that relied on old tactics. Good to see the escape from Dunkirk to fight another day.
Some of the finest to serve with as an American.
This was damn good! More please.
Too realistic. The horrors of war. Well done film.
Honestly one of the best war films in generell that I saw. Really well made
Aw mate, really appreciate the comment:)
very well done!!
It's why there is discipline and a hierarchy you respect, the full screw tried the best he could
ce ne sont pas des acteurs de renoms !!! mais tout le monde joue très bien son rôle ! les plans cameras sont excellent ! costumes aussi .....BRAVO !
Great depiction of a very desperate period for British soldiers in France, who were certainly feeling confusion and uncertainty.
Great short story. A lot packed into this story.
Amazing how the sergeant's stripes suddenly appear at 3:49
Being a student film we had our limitations haha, well spotted though!
Field promotion.
@@66DaysFilm Well spotted? That screamed to me like a death scream : ) But even in larger productions I've seen worse.
Cool little short story showing the horror of war. That was the main objective
I don’t believe that was the objective of this film. It shows what happens when you have poor leadership, poor discipline, are sloppy and untrained, and stroll across open fields as if you’re on a picnic
Great job boys , from 🇨🇦
Same guy who invented separate taps for hot and cold water designed these marvelous helmets.
not immediately returning fire is wild
My granduncle was captured in France in 1940 and spent 5 years in a pow camp. I guess he got lucky
Well done!
Thank you!
Well done 👍🏼
I love short films like these, I just wish they had a definitive ending , even; “Sgt Butler died 2012, at 111 years old, after being taken prisoner in Colditz etc”
5 Star to the crew though!
Awesome, thank you for the great picture
Más emoción en estos 15 minutos que en horas de Hollywood.
Jo, muchísimas gracias! Comentarios como el tuyo me mantienen motivado a seguir trabajando cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles. El próximo corto molaria hacerlo en español que para eso estoy aprendiendo a hablar en español!
@@66DaysFilm ¡Espero verlo pronto! Pero nada mejor que el acento en le idioma original 😅
Thank you for one of the best WW2 short films I have seen. The atmosphere and the mood was very authentic and beautiful in its own way. I know there were a few minor discrepancies in terms of weapons and uniforms. but these can all be put down to budget and time. But thank you again. Wonderful.
Thank you so much for this wonderful message! Yes haha a student film on a 2.5k budget! (most of which went on our amazing actor’s) so it’s class to see comments like this :)
@@66DaysFilm Thank you for the kind reply too. :) Wish you every success! :) (I have been reading/researching wwII for decades, and would love to make a wwII film one day myself.) But yes, aside from minor nitpicks, this was a superb effort. Incredibly authentic to the look and feel of the period.
Why oh why do platoons wander about, bunched up, with no forward scout, chatting loudly?
Them Tommies get a bit worked up if they haven't had their tea time in a while!
No bickies@@ridethecurve55
4 mins in before I saw on stripes on the Sgts arms!…nowt like continuity!! ….👌😎
War is meant to be as fair and as honest as a Bullfight in Spain my late father-in-law used to say.
Well done video with a though-provoking script and absorbent atmosphere.
I'd like to see a video about the Sergeant's past that may explain why he's like this. Just a thought.
Love the acting
All great lads, they put in a shift for this!
What true events was this based on? Would love to read more! This was very well done and intense.
Hey we read through a lot of war diaries from the period to get a better idea of how people were feeling. Then the plot was inspired by the autobiography 'Charles Waite, Survivor of the Long March'. It isn't too similar but if you read the first 50 pages you'll see where some of this film is inspired from for sure!
Very professionally made,... did every body else have the hair stand up on the back of their neck when they all stepped into the open ground.
They are using the No 4 Enfield, which did not enter service until a couple years later.
"....there's no happy endings!" Wow, isn't that the truth.
Exactly:(
Really enjoyed this script. Good job hope to see more 👍
Should have stayed in the tree line or waited until the cover of darkness to move across an open area instead of in broad daylight. Cover and concealment, my boys. Basic small-unit tactics.
You did well but If you ever want to do another war film I highly recommend you employ a known, not self-proclaimed expert on a British Bren Gun team unit, tactics, and kit. No unit insignia is odd as well as the lack of a No.2 Gunner for the Bren. Further, a unit left to fight a rear guard action would be in more than Fighting Order and armed to the teeth with grenades and and possible Gammon bombs. I could go on but you get the point.
I served over ten years in the army, we used to say attention to detail was important. But. You missed the elephant in the room. The message!
In basic you learn as a soldier not to stand still in an open field in enemy territorie....Shoulda stuck to the tree line, like sarg said.
I don’t think the 101 airborne would have walked across the field like that !
Great job, really enjoyed it.
Wow that cheered me up.
Yes, hanging around with a bunch of men with banter like that looks like a right old laugh!
This is what it would have looked like if boys from 2024 were magically transported beck to 1940.
I hope actual squads weren’t as inept nor as undisciplined as this. If so it’s amazing we won the war.
It’s very difficult to make am actual anti war film as the usual narrative requires a resolution so this does very well I think.
Hey appreciate this comment!
It was inspired by a Tim O’Brien quote and the autobiography of Charles Waite:)
Fitting title, would not have believed this was based on actual events if not stated so. They seemed to have lost their will to live.
Well written, well performed, well done!
Lest We Forget
Well done.
Impressive and realistic movie. It would be much better if the landscape was in spring season.
Haha tell me about it, we wanted to but for a uni module we had to shoot first week of March 🥲
Hard days
Nice film ❤
Get to the tree line quick while I go look for the missing man.
Love it, thanks for this.
Glad you enjoyed it! There will be more
Very well done all around, the sound design was especially good, making the entire scene that much more immersive. What school were you going to where you were able to pull off such a high quality senior year project?
Why isnt the bren gunner laying down fire?!, and none of them are firing?
They couldn't even see where the Germans were, let alone shoot at them.
Where is the BREN gunner's Number 2? And good luck holding it where the empties eject straight down....
@@ridethecurve55 Always return fire, it may force the enemy to take cover.
Good Film that shows the cruelty and also sensless of War. But one question I have: why didn't they move back downhill to hide themselves from the Germans? They just remained in enemy fire. Before this they went in the middle of the terrain like in times of peace. ??