The East movie

[Mike Cecil]

Don't know much about Dutch operations in the NEI in the immediate post-war period, so have no idea of the accuracy of the above mentioned movie released in 2020.

From an equipment perspective, CMP trucks, jeeps (some fitted with 7.50-16 tyres by the looks of their size), an interesting assortment of period British, US and Japanese firearms, uniforms that are a mix of camouflage coveralls (like USMC issue), khakis and greens; and webbing that is a mix of '37 and '44 pattern equipment with some interesting little mods. The web equipment is sloppily worn by actors who appear to be carrying very little weight.

Strange sort of movie but worth watching for all the 'kit' if nothing else.

Mike

[Lang]

Mike

I don't think we can be too critical of costumes and equipment in period movies. Not only are they getting harder to source but all movies have budget constraints.

Julius Caesar would be rolling in his grave if he could see how Hollywood dresses Roman soldiers.

As a flyer I am totally amazed that Spitfires did not glide from UK to Berlin before starting their engines to protect the bombers after seeing the "amazingly accurate" latest Dunkirk movie. The British soldiers crowded on the pier after weeks of battle and retreat would warm a sergeant major's heart with their spotless helmets and immaculate outfits.

The outrageous overacting in the latest SAS series comes to mind. Of course every movie has to have a woman invented for a major role whether they were there or not. I say a damn good thing too, women do not get enough credit for things they have not done.

I think there were less than half a dozen stand in the street face-off "fair fight" gunfights recorded in the whole history of the wild west. John Wayne did that many before breakfast.

It is interesting, and fun, for enthusiasts to pick errors in things, times and places but the story is there for the 999 out of 1,000 who would not know. It is annoying but just entertainment "based on fact" as they say.

Even the news docos made in the field at the time were regularly staged and orchestrated with training exercises largely filling the battle scenes.

It is all smoke and mirrors and let us hope they keep making them so we can grit our teeth when the bloke in the fifth row steps off on his right foot.

Lang

[Mike Cecil]

Lang,


I was in admiration of the assemblage of kit, not critical of it, despite the inability of the actors to wear it convincingly.


Mike

[Lang]

Not critical of you at all Mike. I understand the "go-to" bloke for accuracy in many military areas is you and how you can pick up things others will not see. I have often benefitted from your knowledge.

Just saying, apart from correcting errors for a specialist group like MLU and promoting a discussion, not worth getting disappointed over that detail.

I have not seen the movie and even discounting wardrobe faults it may have been total c..p or a great story but it is all entertainment.

Lang

[Bob Carriere]

Do we have a link of the movie or which pay channel......??

Is it even available across the pond??

I promise not to criticize ........ but what would be the reaction of Joe Pubic (not a typo) if we showed up in real period uniform, gritty, unshaven, miss matched color of kits and wearing a sentry woolen cap or better still a a beret stuck to the back of our heads with flowing curls sticking out on our forehead....

I love seeing un-staged pictures of real front line situation that shows real courage and stamina.

Always gets me to see a modern clean re-enactment campsite with a soldier in clean army woolen uniform, 6 foot two and just a shade below 300 pounds wearing a steel pot in size 6 1/2 with a scraggly hair cut.

I attended a show for Veterans and some one pointed out to me that my loose fitting clean (as in mint) coverall were certainly not what I wear when servicing my truck........ and she was absolutely right!!!!

Guess what I will be wearing next time.....

Back in the my days of dirt bikes and mud in the back trails of the Gatineau Park ( now all out of bounds) we wore jeans and matching jacket...... it took a lot of convincing of my (first) wife BUT they were to she shaken loose of dirt and grease and oil was patina....... NEVER TO BE WASHED..... or risk being called a mommy's boy by the other guys!!!!

Now everything gets washed after one wearing......and they do not last!!!

[Mike Cecil]

Bob,

https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-east-...2-0698acdde9d1

Hopefully this link might work ...

Mike