Introduction

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 (1930), The Other Side (1931), Aces High (1976), and a 1988 BBC TV film (also Journey’s End)

Outline

Set in a dugout in Aisne in 1918, it is the story of a group of British officers, led by the mentally disintegrating young officer Stanhope, as they await their fate.

Film Inspiration

Journey’s End is a 1928 dramatic play, the seventh of English playwright R. C. Sherriff. It was first performed at the Apollo Theatre in London by the Incorporated Stage Society on 09 December 1928, starring a young Laurence Olivier, and soon moved to other West End theatres for a two-year run. It was included in Burns Mantle’s The Best Plays of 1928-1929. The piece quickly became internationally popular, with numerous productions and tours in English and other languages. A 1930 film version was followed by other adaptations, and the play set a high standard for other works dealing with similar themes, and influenced playwrights including Noël Coward.

Set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, in 1918, towards the end of the First World War, Journey’s End gives a glimpse into the experiences of the officers of a British Army infantry company. The story plays out in the officers’ dugout over four days from 18 March 1918 to 21 March 1918, the last few days before Operation Michael.

Sherriff considered calling it Suspense or Waiting, but eventually found a title in the closing line of a chapter of an unidentified book, “It was late in the evening when we came at last to our journey’s end”.

Journey’s End Films

You can find a full index of Journey’s End films here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director: Saul Dibb.
• Producers: Guy de Beaujeu and Simon Reade.
• Writer: Simon Reade.
• Music: Natalie Holt.
• Cinematography: Laurie Rose.
• Editor: Tania Reddin.
• Production: Fluidity Films.
• Distributor: Lionsgate (UK) and Good Deed Enertainment (US).
• Release Date: 08 September 2017 (Toronto International Film Festival).
• Running Time: 103 minutes.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

YouTube Link