Imperial War Museum London will host a new exhibition called Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies from 1st July, focussing on iconic war films that have captured audiences in the last 100 years.
The exhibition will bring together more than 200 items, combining film clips, costumes, props, scripts, sketches and designs, alongside original archival material and artefacts from IWM’s own film collections.
Visitors will be able to explore how film-makers have found inspiration in compelling personal stories and real events from wars of the past century.
Highlights include items from films such as The Battle of the Somme, The Dam Busters, Where Eagles Dare, Apocalypse Now, Battle of Britain, Das Boot, Casablanca, Jarhead, Atonement and War Horse.
Visitors will be able to delve into the historic events and experiences that have inspired the movies, from looking at the man behind the myth in Lawrence of Arabia, to the real events of D-Day which were recreated in Saving Private Ryan.
Different sections of Real to Reel will answer different questions, such as: why are war films made? and how do film-makers bring stories of war to life?
There will also be an area focusing on the impact war films leave on their audiences. Groups exploring this section will discover why some films have become box office hits, lauded by critics and decorated for their storytelling power, while others have been censored or heavily criticised.
Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies is running until January 2017.
More about IWM London
IWM London tells the stories of those whose lives have been shaped by war via galleries, displays, exhibitions and events.
Additional highlights that can be enjoyed on a group visit include new World War One galleries that feature over 1,300 objects from IWM’s collections; a World War Two exhibition called A Family in Wartime which displays what life was like during the war; and the award-winning Holocaust Exhibition.
For further information visit www.iwm.org.uk.
Pictured: Film still of James McAvoy starring as Robbie Turner in Atonement. A uniform worn by James McAvoy in this film will be displayed in Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies. (Photo credit: Universal City Studios LLLP, photographed by Alex Bailey).
