“FRANCE ON THE FIRING LINE.”

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5499, 13 June 1917, Page 3

“FRANCE ON THE FIRING LINE.”

• FIGHTING AROUND VERDUN

It is not often that the public of Te Aroha has the opportunity of witnessing films depicting genuine scenes of the actual fighting in Europe, and the 7000 foot picture, “ France On the Firing Line, ” which will be shown at the local Theatre Royal on Friday and Saturday evenings and which bears the French official hallmark of authenticity, is something of a novelty in its convincing depiction of “ real war. ” It is understood that the scenes were taken by cinematographers specially commissioned by the French Government iu order to compile records, more vivid than words, however descriptive, of the part which the gallant country is now playing in the world’s greatest war.

Judging by the results, these ciuomr operators have doue their work well 1 undertaking enormous risks to secure, for i> stauco, a picture from the front line trench of a German bombardmeat, during which one sees ilie bursting of I ton shells scatieriuer debris far and wide and uprooting trees as if by u giant band. Or again, the spectator can imagine one of these intrepid men, with masked head and face, grimly turning the handle of his camera as he watches the deadly cloud •of poisonous vapour floating towards him from the German trenches, so that the world can realise from the seats of a picture thoatre what tho heroic men iu tho fighting line are braving to crush the Hun. The first part of the programme will be devoted to military operations between Paris and the Champauge. The spectator will then be taken right into the first firing line, in some cases only six yards from the enemy, whore the French “ Poilu ’’was seen at his daily round of watching and waiting for the German assaults. Scenes behind the trenches, the artillery with ■the famous 75’s launching their deadly missiles, the air squadron, detach-i •ments of men waiting to go into the 1 fnfisg-Jino, and all tho other intense.v! iinteresting operations connected with I ■the maintenance of a~great army. will • ibe clearly depicted. The second half •of the programme is mainly devoted ‘•to the actual fighting round Verdun. 'There will be shown stretches of •ground torn up by shells. German '.trenches set on fire by the intensity <o'f the French bombardment, tho •flight of aerial torpedoes, etc., Red (Cross men bringing in tho wounded, and the dead strewn over the field of battle, which vividly conveys a realisation of war’s awful toll. Of speeial interest is a scene showing the famous “ Blue Devils, ” the Chasseurs d’ Alpini, in action, and their retirement to another position when the enemy’s fire had located them. A French . maebine-gun section is also depicted 'with enemy shells bursting but a few '.yards iu front of them. It is certainly the finest, wav picktoe yet seen. The photography, for vfe© most part, is excellent, which is a ma ’tter for wonderment, when the tremeil(4oug risks of the photographer are tak' eu^ consideration.