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{{Short description|World War II biographical drama adventure film}}
{{Italic title}}
'''''WWII: The Long Road Home''''' is a 2017 [[World War II]] [[Biographical film|biographical]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] [[adventure film]] written and directed by [[Elliott Hasler]]. Created between the ages of 14 and 16 whilst Hasler was still at school, the film centres on the story of his own great-grandfather's experiences as an escaped [[prisoner of war]] in Italy. Released when Hasler was 16, ''WWII: The Long Road Home'' premiered at the [[Brighton Fringe|Brighton]] and [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe|Edinburgh]] festivals in 2017 and was praised by critics for the vision of the project in relation to Hasler's age.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hasler|first=Elliott|date=2019-08-01|title=What it's Like to be the UK's Youngest Film Director|url=https://www.raindance.org/what-its-like-to-be-the-uks-youngest-film-director/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=Raindance|language=en-GB}}{{Non-primary source needed|date=February 2021|reason=This claim is made in a primary source}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-08|title=Emerging filmmaking talent Elliott Hasler discusses biopic WWII – The Long Road Home|url=https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/emerging-filmmaking-talent-elliott-hasler-discusses-biopicwwii-the-long-road-home/|access-date=2021-02-09|website=British Cinematographer|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2021-02-18|title=WWII: THE LONG ROAD HOME Arrives on Digital, VOD and DVD March 2nd|url=http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2021/02/wwii-the-long-road-home-arrives-on-digital-vod-and-dvd-march-2nd/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=We Are Movie Geeks|language=en-US}}</ref>

The film was produced by Relsah Films and distributed by 101 Films International and 3 Wolves.

== Plot ==
Private Charlie Standing of the [[Royal Hampshire Regiment]] is stationed at a remote outpost at [[Cuckmere Haven]], overlooking the [[Seven Sisters, Sussex|Seven Sisters]] along the south coast of England. He cycles back to [[Brighton]] where he meets his soon-to-be-wife Ivy 'Tup' Standing and they go for a countryside picnic. A montage begins showing the development of their relationship and the birth of their son, Terry. Charlie later meets up with fellow soldier Private Andrew Grimes, who tells him they are to be sent to North Africa. A distraught Tup confronts Charlie the night before he is due to leave; he tries to clam the situation by professing to her that he will return home, despite his father being killed in [[World War I]]. The next morning Tup sees him off at the station and he subsequently boards a ship bound for Africa.

At the British HQ in [[Sidi Nsir]], Tunisia Charlie and Grimes are told they are to take part in a risky reconnaissance mission as a prelude to the anticipated arrival of German soldiers. They head out into the desert in a [[Willys MB|Jeep]] under the command of Captain Thompson and Sergeant Milton. After suffering a breakdown the group is attacked by German soldiers, resulting in the deaths of both Thompson and Milton which forces Charlie and Grimes to surrender themselves.

Now [[prisoners of war]], they are transported to a POW camp in [[Capua]], [[Southern Italy]]. The soldiers lament the poor conditions at the camp and soon the boredom begins to degrade them. As the British claim victory in the [[North African campaign|North African Campaign]], the soldiers are transported north to another prison camp in [[Laterina]], [[Tuscany]]. Here they are informed by the Italian Commander of Italy's decision to [[Armistice of Cassibile|capitulate]]. As a result, the POWs are now free but are instructed by the British Camp Commander, Major Rawford, to await the Allies' arrival at the camp. Charlie sensing something is wrong pleads with Grimes to flee the camp with him, however Grimes refuses and Charlie departs alone.

Back in England, Tup flicks through a series of letters marked return-to-sender and ponders over the fate of her husband. Charlie walks across the Italian countryside alone, eventually arriving at a rural farmhouse which he breaks into and steals food, fleeing as the owner returns. The next morning he is discovered by two Italian peasants who decide to help him. Sometime later as winter approaches, the Germans arrive and Charlie is forced into the mountains where he hides out in a remote cave. One morning a German stumbles across the hiding place and Charlie is forced to kill him. That night an aerial bombardment takes place of the surrounding area, Charlie watching from the cave decides it is time to move on.

With the onset of winter he falls ill and collapses in a forest. He is rescued by a [[Muteness|mute]] Italian shepherd, Giovanni, who nurses him back to health and escorts him to the convent in [[Viterbo]], where he waits out the winter. Here he pens a letter to Tup in which he laments the cost of the war upon himself and its destruction of the beauty that surrounds him. Once again the Germans catch up with him and Charlie is forced back out on the run.

Meanwhile, Tup meets Canadian Officer, Michael Romero, whom she agrees to a date with. As the two bond, she begins to feel guilty and ends their relationship.

The summer arrives and back in Italy, Charlie is joined by a lone [[Italian resistance movement|Italian partisan]], Aldo, who seeks revenge for the death of his family at the hands of the [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|fascists]]. They travel together for a while and form a friendly bond, until one morning Charlie discovers the partisan hanged from a tree. The German soldiers again catch up with Charlie and he flees into the forest where they discover him and a chase ensues. Surrounded on all sides by German soldiers, Charlie is once again pressed to surrender. However suddenly an artillery bombardment of the forest begins, allowing Charlie to escape in the ensuing chaos. War-weary and bedraggled, Charlie wanders through a ruined building and is subsequently rescued by a squad of [[United States Army North|American fifth army]] soldiers.

Tup and Terry arrive by an artillery gun which looks out over the harbour, and watch as Charlie arrives back home aboard a warship. [[Victory in Europe Day|Victory in Europe]] is declared and Charlie watches the celebrations in [[Trafalgar Square]]. He struggles to adjust to life back in England and becomes emotionally detached from his wife and son, spending his time working on the railways. He writes a letter to Tup in which he apologises for his actions and declares his wishes to be with her.

Now in 1999, an older Tup reads the letter and then along with the rest of Charlie's letters, places them into his coffin. After the funeral, Tup travels to [[Cuckmere Haven]] to scatter the ashes. She pauses and stares out at the white cliffs, reminiscing of a trip there with Charlie and Terry after the war. She then turns and walks away.

== Cast ==
* [[Elliott Hasler]] as Private Charlie Standing
* Alice Rogers as Ivy 'Tup' Standing
* David Aitchison as Private Andrew Grimes
* Luigi Patti Del Pirano Li-Castri as Aldo
* Mike Skinner as Captain Thompson
* Owen Oldroyd as Sergeant Milton
* Eamonn Breen as Major Rawford
* Pete Walsh as Michael Romero
* David Hasler as Giovanni

== Production ==

=== Writing ===
Hasler began writing the film at the age of fourteen, having been making short films since the age of ten. Having never met his great-grandfather who died in 1999 (a year before Hasler was born), much of the story was passed down to him by his grandfather in the form of small stories about Charlie Standing's escapades. Hasler has stated how these stories captured his imagination and were what led to his decision to make the film.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Digital FilmMaker - Important Information|url=https://pocketmags.com/digital-filmmaker-magazine/important-information|access-date=2020-10-08|website=pocketmags.com}}</ref>

The script was completed in the summer of 2014 and filming began in October of that year.

=== Filming ===
Filming began on 25 October 2014 in Turkey. Hasler was on holiday there at the time and as he was starring in the film decided to shoot scenes there for the film. Due to the three year production on the film, this process was also replicated in Italy, Spain and France, with the latter country providing locations for crucial scenes for the winter sections of the film. The majority of filming took place in [[Brighton]], England and the surrounding area in [[Sussex]]. Because of the low budget nature of the film and as Hasler was still a schoolboy, the cast is composed of non-professional actors, made up of family and friends. Scenes were shot at Pippingford Park in July 2016, which also served as a location on the television series [[Band of Brothers (miniseries)|''Band of Brothers'']].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Filming {{!}} Pippingford Park|url=http://www.pippingford.co.uk/filming|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.pippingford.co.uk}}</ref>

Filming wrapped in March 2017 after three years of production. Hasler edited the film himself and the score was composed by musician Jamie Scarratt, who was also 16 at the time of production.

== Release and reception ==
The film premiered in May 2017 at the [[Brighton Fringe|Brighton Fringe Festival]], the hometown of Hasler, selling out six of seven screenings under the original title of ''Charlie's Letters''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-19|title=Brighton Fringe premiere sells out for debut by 16-year-old Hove film director|url=https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2017/05/19/brighton-fringe-premiere-sells-out-for-debut-by-16-year-old-hove-film-director/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=Brighton and Hove News|language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2017 the film was shown as part of the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe|Edinburgh Fringe Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-08-04|title=+3 Interview: Charlie's Letters|url=https://edinburgh49.com/2017/08/04/3-interview-charlies-letters/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=Edinburgh49|language=en}}</ref> The film was also shown as part of a special screening for veterans of the battle of Sidi Nsir at the [[Vue Cinemas|Vue]] cinema in [[Southampton]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Film tells story of heroic World War 2 Tiger|url=https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/16058854.charlies-letters-tells-story-hampshires-stand-sidi-nsir/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=Hampshire Chronicle|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020 the film was picked up for distribution by 101 Films International and retitled to ''WWII: The Long Road Home''. It was given a home video and VOD release in the United Kingdom in October 2020 and received US distribution in February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WORLD WAR II: THE LONG ROAD HOME The Feature Debut Of Britain's Youngest Director Arrives October 26 On DVD And Digital {{!}} The Fan Carpet|url=https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/world-war-ii-the-long-road-home-the-feature-debut-of-britains-youngest-director-arrives-october-26-on-dvd-and-digital/|access-date=2020-11-05|website=www.thefancarpet.com}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=February 2021|reason=Looks to be a press release, but the site itself looks kind of dodgy}}<ref>{{Cite web|title="I never went to film school or anything like that, so watching films was my film school..." - hmv.com talks to Elliott Hasler|url=https://www.hmv.com/video/elliott-hasler-interview-wwii-the-long-road-home|access-date=2020-11-05|website=HMV|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

=== Critical response ===
''WWII: The Long Road Home'' was praised critics for the scope and scale of the production in relation to Hasler's age and the film's low budget.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elliott Hasler|url=https://bradspurgeon.com/tag/elliott-hasler/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=Brad Spurgeon's Blog|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Charlie's Letters – JohnLocke'sBlog|url=https://johnlockeactor.com/dir/2018/06/05/charlies-letters/|access-date=2020-10-08|language=en-US}}</ref> Tim Walker of [[The New European]] called the film "glossy and assured".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Walker|first=Tim|date=2020-10-08|title=MANDRAKE: Former Today editor takes on Andrew Neil|url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/tim-walker-on-sarah-sands-new-venture-1848412|access-date=2020-11-28|website=The New European|language=en-UK}}</ref>

Critic David Luhrssen wrote the film "makes decent use of its modest budget, avoiding SFX and big set pieces through careful editing and camera angles and use of sound".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Luhrssen|first=Lisa Miller, David|date=2021-03-08|title=Film Clips: March 8, 2021|url=https://shepherdexpress.com/api/content/fc759b4c-8015-11eb-a987-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=Shepherd Express|language=en-us}}</ref> While Culture Trip's Graham Fuller called it "a miracle achievement for a schoolboy director".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fuller|first=Graham|title=A 17-Year-Old Brit Might Be the Next Steven Spielberg|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/a-17-year-old-brit-might-be-the-next-steven-spielberg/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=Culture Trip|date=16 August 2017 }}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:2017 films]]
[[Category:British historical drama films]]
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:British biographical drama films]]
[[Category:North African campaign films]]
[[Category:British World War II films]]
[[Category:World War II prisoner of war films]]
[[Category:World War II films based on actual events]]
[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
[[Category:2010s British films]]

WWII: The Long Road Home - Revision history

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