This film is part of Free
Anzac Day
London's at a sombre standstill as both ends of the Empire mark wartime casualties.
Overview
The devastating scale of a conflict which sucked in the whole Empire was becoming apparent by 1916. This sombre newsreel marks the anniversary of the terrible massacre at Gallipoli. Troop after troop of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) marches past the camera in this single-shot footage, adding detail to a historic remembrance event. Police halt traffic, and one man climbs a lamppost for a better view.
The Westminster throng which populates this scene is dense, but it's restrained, too: there's little animation beyond the steady procession of the soldiers, and the odd wave of a hanky. During WWI, the newsreel balanced mostly morale-boosting war-related stories with a menu of amusing diversions. But this solemn, sustaining shot shows that the likes of Topical Budget - soon to become the official War Office newsreel - could just as effectively achieve a tone suited to tragedy when called for. The Anzac troops at Westminster Abbey were commemorating the more than 11,000 of their compatriots who died following the Allied landings at Gallipoli in Turkey on 25 April 1915.
Related
Shower Baths in the Trenches Shower Baths in the Trenches
Non-Fiction 1916 1 mins Silent
A humble scrub is all it takes to get these French troops in a lather.
Airship No. 9 Airship No. 9
Non-Fiction 1916 14 mins Silent Location: Walney Island
The maiden flight of Britain's first successful rigid airship – just don’t call it a zeppelin…
The Scarecrow The Scarecrow
Comedy 1916 12 mins Silent
A tramp steals the clothes from a scarecrow, but when he realises two couples are using its pockets to pass messages, he sees an opportunity.
Tubby's Typewriter Tubby's Typewriter
Comedy 1916 11 mins Silent
Newlywed Tubby fancies another man's typewriter and ends up in hot water with his new wife
Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale Preston North End Football Club at Deepdale
1916 8 mins Silent
Preston North End play Liverpool (probably) in a regional football competition during WWI.
Industrial Sidelights Industrial Sidelights
Interest film 1916 7 mins Silent
Goat farming, salmon farming and copper mining all feature in this enlightening oddity.
Coronation of Edward VII (1902) Coronation of Edward VII (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 0 mins Silent Location: Westminster Abbey
A short glimpse of the new King's delayed coronation procession through London.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.