Paul Gross' First World War epic Passchendaele isn't perfect.
Perfection is elusive in cinema, especially when working on a grand scale with a limited budget.
So there are a few clunky scenes, especially in the homefront montage that introduces us to life back in Alberta during the war. I don't care much for the final sappy scene, either. Especially because it follows a stirring battle-scene climax that raises the film out of the muck of the trenches and into a spiritual awakening about mankind's go-to-war impulses.
But what Gross' $21-million, made-in-Alberta film lacks in polish it makes up for in passion, ambition and heart.
Passchendaele is also a significant piece of Canadiana, because our former Due South star does not pander to
American audiences. So it appropriately served as an opening-night gala for both the Toronto and Calgary film festivals.
Finally, Passchendaele is an important drama about cataclysmic events that helped forge the country itself. In subtle ways, Gross examines the identity of Canada as a freshly independent nation struggling to shuck the shabby cloak of colonialism.
So the elements of great cinema are here, even if Passchendaele will not please all. For example, if you are looking only for war action, stay away or change your expectations.
The European battles scenes -- the aftermath of Vimy Ridge and later the third battle of Passchendaele in Belgium -- are stunning. They are grim, bleak, violent, capricious and horrifyingly realistic. On a smaller scale, they work with the same kind of brutal elegance that made the opening of Saving Private Ryan so powerful.
But the war scenes are just one element in the complex film, which tries to balance subplots that veer toward melodrama, with an undertow of melancholy.
There is a "forbidden" romance involving Gross' fictional character (named Michael Dunne in honour of Gross' real-life maternal grandfather, an Albertan who fought at Passchendaele). The other party is a German-Canadian nurse, wonderfully played by Caroline Dhavernas.
Another subplot examines the disconnect between actually fighting the war and stirring up homefront propaganda. It is a timeless debate with obvious relevance today.
Yet another segment looks at how war turns neighbour against neighbour because of national or racial heritage. Again, this is a universal problem. When any country goes to war, people stupidly look for the enemy among us.
As co-producer, writer, director and star, Gross obviously had a lot to say about the human condition. Passchendaele is not just a story of how one man -- Michael Dunne -- goes to war in France, gets injured, rehabilitates his body but not his mind, and goes back to fight in Belgium for personal reasons.
Gross looks at the ugliness of war, along with the remarkable acts of heroism, and lets the audience analyze the results.
No film is a solo effort, of course. On-screen, Gross turns in a finely wrought performance as our disillusioned anti-hero, a man whose internal pain is greater than his external wounds. He is joined by a great ensemble, including Dhavernas, Joe Dinicol and Gil Bellows.
Behind the camera, Gross demonstrates how sophisticated he has become since directing his curling comedy Men With Brooms (2002). Again, however, credit goes to the ensemble, including Carol Spier as production designer. Turning an Alberta field into a convincing First World War wasteland is a thing of twisted beauty. Kudos also to cinematographer Gregory Middleton and editor David Wharnsby.
Together, they have fashioned a poignant and occasionally profound film out of a page in history.
For that, all of Canada should be grateful -- and intrigued.
(This film is rated 14-A)
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