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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 779

The Battle of the Somme

191674 minUnited Kingdom

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 72:52
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · shot by two official cinematographers, Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell · Public domain

Synopsis

British soldiers prepare for the Somme offensive, moving supplies, waiting in trenches and serving the artillery before the attack. The camera also records wounded men, prisoners and the work behind the fighting. These views of the Western Front brought the scale and human cost of the campaign to cinema audiences while the war was still being fought.

Cast

Beauvoir De Lisle

DirectorsGeoffrey Malins

Behind the scenes

Official cameramen Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell recorded the military operation. Some scenes were staged, including a famous sequence of men going over the top; the film combines evidence from the battlefield with images arranged for the camera.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits Imperial War Museums — Battle of the Somme Imperial War Museums — staging and manipulation

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Beauvoir De Lisle — Bassano Ltd; one or more third parties have made copyright claims against Wikimedia Commons in relation to the work from which this is sourced or a purely mechanical reproduction thereof . This may be due to recognition of the " sweat of the brow " doctrine, allowing works to be eligible for protection through skill and labour, and not purely by originality as is the case in the United States (where this website is hosted). These claims may or may not be valid in all jurisdictions. As such, use of this image in the jurisdiction of the claimant or other countries may be regarded as copyright infringement . Please see Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag for more information. · Public domain

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