Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Walter Tull was
a successful professional football player prior to the First World War, where
he was a heroic non-commissioned officer until his death in 1918. The
television movie, “Walter’s War” focuses entirely upon Tull’s time in the war,
and the 53-minute TV-movie feels incomplete because of these limitations in the
screenplay. This wounds the telling of this true story, but it is the cliché
racial obstacles within the narrative that deals a fatal blow to the derivative
screenplay from actor-turned-writer Kwame Kwei-Armah.
At the beginning
of the film we are told about Tull’s endeavors in professional football,
including the adversity he was forced to face. This is much the same as his
experience as the first mixed-race officer in the British Army, especially when
choosing to court a pretty young local blonde girl volunteering. The romantic
sub-plot is yet another narrative thread that is left dangling, however, as the
storyline has no direction beyond getting our protagonist to the Battle of
Somme.
Rushed and
unimpressive, there is little room in this brief narrative to allow affections
to grow for the characters. O.T. Fagbenle does little to help with this
problem, creating a passionless Tull that is hardly an inspiration. All we are
left with are endless scenes of cliché racism and predictable outcomes. The DVD
bonus features include an hour-long documentary about the Battle of Somme which
is far more compelling than this scripted drama.
Entertainment Value:
3.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 7/10
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