Before Dawn movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Before Dawn

This dramatic war movie is now available in select theaters, as well as on Fandango at Home.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 41 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

I’m fascinated by war movies. The conditions during World War I were especially brutal, living in the muddy, bug-infested trenches. My husband’s grandfather fought in WWI and served as a runner during part of that time. He ended up running through a mustard gas field to deliver an urgent message, but survived, yet was never quite the same when he returned home. My 4 sons have read his journals many times. It’s hard to imagine having to go through something like that. This movie was dedicated to the grandfather of the director.

In this movie, we meet fictional Australian soldiers who fought in the very real Western Front of World War I.

The film was directed by Jordon Prince-Wright, who also co-wrote the story with Jarrad Russell.

THINGS I LIKED:

The cast of young actors includes Levi Miller, Travis Jeffery, Tim Franklin, Jordan Dulieu, Ed Oxenbould and more.
It’s nice to see Australians in front and behind the camera. The film was shot near Esperance in Western Australia.
I didn’t find myself truly engaged with any of the characters, other than feeling like a mother to them and sorrowing for everything soldiers have to go through in war. What’s the most striking about the movie is seeing how young these soldiers were, mere boys. How truly heartbreaking.
It’s a coming-of-age story in many ways as these young boys become wise young men.
The cast and crew seemed very earnest. They had to work extra hard to get weapons into Australia just to make the film since their gun laws are so strict in that country.
The musical score was lovely, especially at the end.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s really hard to see what’s happening in the night scenes and, unfortunately, there are a lot of night scenes.
In terms of a war movie, this film doesn’t really say anything new.
We see a lot of shots of boots walking in mud.
Rumor has it that $9 million dollars were spent making this film, but it doesn’t look like it. For exampale, the trenches don’t look that realistic. They weren’t that deep and they didn’t have all of the wooden buildings and caves that were generally seen in that war.
It’s very melodramatic.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored. More importantly, this is not something you would want them to see.
Brutal violence with blood and wounds.
Soldiers fight with various weapons in the trenches during World War I.
People die and we see dead bodies.
Soldiers drink alcohol and smoke.

THEMES:

World War I
Courage vs. fear
Brotherhood
Life and death
Sacrifice
Friendship
Family
Honor

FUNNY LINES:

None worth noting. It’s very serious drama

INTERESTING LINES:

“If I only I had listened. I keep saying that to myself. If only…” – Jim Collins (Levi Miller)
“Think of the consequences. Think of your mother.” – Jim Collins’ dad