Journey's End is a 2017 British war film, based on the 1928 play Journey's End by R. C. Sherriff. Written by Simon Reade and directed by Saul Dibb, it is the fifth film adaptation of the play, following Journey's End, The Other Side, Aces High, and a 1988 BBC TV film. The film was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
* = new character, does not appear in the stage play
Production
The proposed film was first announced in 2014, when it was intended to form part of the British commemoration of the First World War centenary. It was to be produced by Guy De Beaujeu, and was originally planned to be directed by David Grindley, who had previously directed a frequently revived stage production of the play. Production was delayed by uncertainties over who held the film rights to the play in United Kingdom and Ireland: these had been thought to be with Warner Brothers, but, following pressure from Prince Andrew, it was found that they had lapsed in 2008. Rights were due to be signed over to Fluidity Films on 2 June 2014. The film's producer confirmed that the ideal cast might include Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne, but that no actors had yet been approached. Further press information in December 2016 announced that the cast would now include Paul Bettany, Tom Sturridge and Toby Jones, and that the film was due for release in 2017. The film received a wider theatrical release in Spring 2018, 100 years after the events of the Spring Offensive which it depicts.
Reception
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 93% based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Journey's End brings R.C. Sherriff's 90-year-old play to the screen with thrilling power, thanks to director Saul Dibb's hard-hitting urgency and brilliant work from a talented cast." Metacritic gave the film a score of 73 out of 100 based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Simran Hans of The Observer gave the film 3 stars out of 5, saying, "Sam Claflin is particularly good as the boozy, brooding Captain Stanhope, whose intensity, belligerence and self-loathing flesh out what might in less capable hands have been a cliched, shell-shocked soldier." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 4 stars out of 5, calling it "expertly cast and really well acted: forthright, powerful, heartfelt." Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter commented that "the film serves to illuminate how very different the British army – or any army – was then, with its class distinctions and comparatively polite conversational modes, and how differently wars are now fought." Dennis Harvey of Variety said, "The convincing physical production is shot in muddy earthtones by Laurie Rose and is well accentuated by an original score of urgent, mournful strings."
