They Were Not Divided (2015 Edition) [DVD]

Anathema to the snowflakes of at least the past two generations, this is a vivid portrayal of the Second World War by those who fought it. The authentic experience of a small unit in the advance from the Normandy beaches.

I was really surprised what a great tank movie this was. Anyone with an interest in great WW2 movies has to buy this one. I cannot say enough good about it. I won't go into the plot, acting and production values......what I am interested in is war movies with realism, i.e. genuine tanks, guns, etc.. I am from the U.S. and had never heard of this movie. If only there were more with real WW2 tanks. There is a great scene with a real Tiger Tank and hidden to the side of it looked to be a jagdpanther. The Tiger was a late model with zimmermet, and the turret turning. I am sorry to say it must have been destroyed later, cause I think I have seen pictures of all the rest in museums and have never seen this one.The British were in shermans......all covered in camo netting and such. Also giving an authentic touch of what WW2 tanks really looked like. There was a real effort to make everything look real....and the makers of this movie succeeded very well!5 STARS!!!

What a strange and compelling film this is. The slightly documentary atmosphere and the gentle acting at first conceals the fact that the film is about British people, made by British people and acted by British people a mere 59 years ago. How we have changed - and I wish I could write that it is all for the better. The quiet dignity of this film about war, the humanity of the two main protagonists, their comrades and the women they loved left me moved and quite sad. I was left pondering the tremendous sacrifices made, the personal tragedies, the admirable tenacity of that tough British Army composed of professionals and amateurs, the willing and the not so willing, which liberated Europe. Now I look around me and wonder what those young men might think of us, how we have trashed and abandoned the legacy of their effort and sacrifice, allowed greasy politicians who are not fit to lick their boots bully us and push us around. Freedom? Those young soldiers fought and died to bequeath it to us. Now our government tramples on it. How I long to see the ghosts of the old Guards Armoured clanking into Whitehall in their Shermans, those smiling, fag-smoking, foul-mouthed, good natured and glorious troopers back here again to liberate us from the self-serving gang who have besmirched and betrayed their legacy. Where are you lads? We need you now as never before.

The picture shows the general mundane life of the army, as well as family life. Then moves to a battle field environment. An enjoyable film.

"They were not divided"Released in 1950, this is a typical British view of the war from after the event. Not glamourising war, with no need to sell War Bonds it tells the true story of recruits to the Guards Armoured Division. For those of an age the remember National Service will appreciate the training period, with 'Trained Solder' who shows the tips on how to clean your kit etc. and the fearsome RSM who, if he can't find another infraction will tell the squaddie to get his hair cut (again!). The story leads on to Normandy and the difficult single road attack of Market Garden through to its tragic ending. No phony computer graphics, no false heroics, no overblown fiery explosions, just a solid depiction of a tankies life in WWII.

Good

I bought this out of curiosity. An old black and white 1950's British war movie I had never watched but looked interesting.No well known names although Christopher Lee and Desmond Llewelyn pop up in small roles. By todays standards it is a bit slow with very little in combat or action scenes. The after effect of the battle is often there but lacks something without the battle scenes themselves. There is a lot of dialogue with some very authentic looking scenes showing Shermans speeding about the place in a dash through Europe after the D-Day landings. Interestingly a number of real life events and points of debate are touched on. For example the view that British columns moved forward much more slowly than the allegedly more aggressive US divisions in 1944.There is a quaintness about the film at times. There is one all defining message the film still portrays really well. People of many nations all working together in an almost 'to good to be true' comradeship in a common goal to defeat Nazi Germany. It's actually quite emotional to see English, Irish, Welsh and American characters all working together in friendship. It must be heart breaking for people of that generation to see the way the UK now seems to be breaking apart in the 21st century under the flimsiest of justifications.The ending is a bit of surprise when it comes and all the more memorable as it is unexpected.

This film ticks a large number of boxes. It is a little slow to begin with - perhaps necessarily as there is much to put in place, but when it moves on to the actual combat scene we see a very realistic representation of warfare in Europe after D-Day. A little sentimental in places, but that was par for the course at this period. Overall, a do-not-miss for students of the war film genre.