Hymn of Hate
2018 · 13m · UK
Directed by Matt Kennard
Tones: melancholic, provocative, tender
During WWI, a young officer sends Sgt. George May and Pvt. Billy Booth to patrol the deadly No Man's Land at The Somme, where their encounter challenges the propaganda and hatred fueling the conflict.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Russell Tovey and Thomas Turgoose in another WWI No-Man's-Land peace parable — solid actors, a script anyone who's read a poppy anthology has already heard. Earnest centennial product.
Russell Tovey and Thomas Turgoose in a No Man's Land encounter on the WWI centenary — competent casting and timely framing, but the territory has been trodden flat by All Quiet on the Western Front and Joyeux Noël. Solid, not singular.
Russell Tovey and Thomas Turgoose in a ten-minute WWI No Man's Land two-hander is exactly the right runtime and cast — Turgoose especially can do enormous things with a stripped scene. The WWI centenary timing gave it a clear purpose; the question is whether the propaganda critique lands or just states itself.
Reviews
A beautiful, moving picture delivered with skill... an effective tribute to the lost lives of World War I.
Kennard shows a maturity of a much more experienced man in his directorial debut, with fantastically orchestrated, carefully handled material.
Festivals
- Newport Beach Film Festival 2019