Isn't it sweet that the 306 soldiers executed for desertion were pardoned 88 years later? Happy ending.

These are the type of directors that deserve to be budgeted millions

"My bad, dude." -British Government, 2006

The fact that cinematography, lighting, sets and pacing is better than like 90% of movies released now is astonishing

my opinion...WW1 was by far the worst time period to be a soldier

I wanted to learn more about World War One and instead I got super depressed

Imagine having a horrendous nightmare and to only be woke up inside a trench, knee deep in mud somewhere in France. Ending was very moving.

I live in Flanders fields, i am grateful every day for their sacrifice. I salute every soldier who gave his live.

"In 2006, the British Government agreed to pardon all 306 soldiers for these battlefield offenses" Uhh...i think its a little too late for that

Damn, this looks better than most big-budget war movies.

My Grandfather was a wagoner in the Army during WW1...81st 319th infantry, known as the Blue Mountain soldiers as they were all from PA, OH, and WVa in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He came back a violent alcoholic, who tortured my grandmother, my father and his siblings physically and mentally. After watching a few documentaries, I saw what he went through with “shell shock”..no wonder he drank. No one in my family has put this together; they prefer to make him a villain and a drunk instead of acknowledging what was really going on with him. This has changed how I feel about a man I barely knew..he was born in 1889, and I was born in 1962. I only had him in my life for 6 years, and I don’t remember a lot about him, but I remember that he kept his bayonet under his bed, and there was a picture of him in his doughboy uniform.

My great, great uncle fought as a Captain in the british army in WW1. He was killed at the battle of paschendale. Every ANZAC day i pay respect to every single soldier that fought in any war, because they truly deserve our thoughts and our love.

every now and then you find a little treasure in utube....... this is one of them.

Finally, I can watch this without my classmates laughing at the accents and captions the whole time.

I love how this is more accurate than most hollywood films nowadays feels nice to watch 10/10

There is another very surprising aspect to WW1. In 1914 my grandfather joined the 5th Battalion York and Lancs Regiment in Rotherham Yorkshire. The Battalion was Territorial, so part time/ weekend soldiers. Until 1915 when they were sent to France. They were demobbed in 1919 and the survivors returned to marry and start families. Then in the 1920s something amazing happened - they rejoined the Battalion. You would think that they would have had enough of soldiering, but this was their hobby! Our local museum in Rotherham has a collection of photographs of them out on exercise in the nearby Peak District, all with big smiles and enjoying themselves. When WW2 started many went back to France as senior NCOs to do it all again. But by this time Grandad James Duke had lost his sight. He had been awarded the Military Medal for saving life during a gas attack and this may have contributed to his later blindness. So his contribution to WW2 was in using his blind skills to help people find their way during the blackout and blitz in the nearby city of Sheffield. I remember a jolly kind man full of jokes.

"I felt the same then as I feel now, that the leaders in the offices should have been the ones given the guns and made to fight it out themselves rather than organising mass murder" Harry Patch - the last ever British WW1 soldier

"The war to end all wars." -"It ended nothing."

I remember watching this video years ago in high school, I am shocked and glade that this has almost 10m views and people use this as reference when discussing such topics. good job you nailed it like the romans.

the way i literally jumped out of my chair on the first gunshot i have never gotten so scared in my life

"In 2006, eighty-eight years after the First World War Armistice, the British Government agreed to pardon all 306 soldiers executed for these battlefield offences." I can still hear those soldiers in their graves: "Fuck youuuuuu!!!!"

This is cinema-quality right here. Simply outstanding.

I don't recall a film in recent memory that has portrayed the absolute hell that the men went thru in WWI with such visceral detail. All war is hell, but from what we have learned by survivors and stories regarding WW1, this one was exceptionally brutal. Godspeed to those who fought in this war, and for all the sacrifices they laid down for us to be here today.

Well I'm damned. The best half an hour of acting. Drama. And emotion .And not to mention special effects I have seen for a long time. A very well done

My great grandfather was a British Major in the western front in the frontlines of the somme 4 years of Frontline Combat , He was shot and gassed and still Gave his Regiment Motivation his diary said this ''All my years I fought and bleed to see young men die of blind orders from Madmen who call themselves an Officer and a gentleman" Major James A, Williams ,Kings Royal Regiment 2nd Battalion

"Living it up in some farm house!" Silly soldier, living is above your rank.

Came here very cynical of a less than 30 minute short film about WW1. I left absolutely blown away by it. Wow, never ever judge a book, or in this case film by its cover. Simply put, BRAVO!!!

Exceptional film depicting an accurate view of battle and trauma. I feel for the soldier shot and for the commanders passing judgement. Neither understood what was really going on in combat, otherwise they'd never have allowed men to be stuck in trenches for so long a period of time. The war might be over but the pain is still felt today, lest we forget the sacrifices those men made for us. Well done

"You didn't run away from the enemy, so you're a coward." Logic.

Imagine being the first one going up the ladder, just standing there for a couple minutes waiting for the whistle.

One of the best depictions of the Great War I’ve seen. Amazing work by everyone involved. Absolutely loved it!

Very sad...RIP brave soldiers,none deserved this punishment and you are all heroes for the hell you went through even before death. 😔🎖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

My great grandfather, Austin Grimes, fought for the United States in WWI. He was stationed in France, only nineteen years old. He suffered from exposure to mustard gas, which left him with open sores and scars until he died in his 50's. He also saved an airman during WWI by pulling him from a burning plane. He returned home after the war to become an attorney and mayor of Little Falls, Minnesota, where he was born. He was also good friends with famous pilot Charles Lindbergh, also from Little Falls. My family still has my great-grandfather's diary, chronicling his experiences in the war. I hope that it will someday be published. Thank you for reading this- I've always found his life story to be an amazing one and I'm glad that I could share it with you.

A century ago today, the world rejoiced. A century ago today, the world stopped bleeding. A century ago today, the world mourned. A century ago today, fathers, brothers and sons would not return to their families. A century ago today, they laid in the fields, the farms and the country sides. A century ago today, 17 million would be slain for this resolution. Today we remember them, the brave and courageous who so selflessly gave themselves up. Lest we forget.

So much story in 28mins amazing work from everyone involved and the acting was amazing

Keep coming back to watch time and time again...so well done! I want a 130 minutes version of this.

This video deserves sooo many awards. Best acting, best effects, best filming, best directing, best story. This is honestly the best short film on WWI I've ever seen, and it may not seem like much, but all i can offer are these complements. Seriously amazing work!!

Crazy to think he went through all that just to be quartered and shot by his own people

Martin McCann one of the two main actors in this, doesn't even have this short film mentioned on his Wikipedia page. Strange, since it mentions other short films that he appeared in. He did great work in this. As well as in "My Boy Jack" and "The Pacific." McCann deserves more recognition than he gets and should be in more prominent roles. He's been in a few WWI and WWII movies and short films.

thank you so much for continuous support of our film. I really appreciate this. D

The average WWI video commentator: >Watches a KZfaq movie about the Great War while laying in bed with laptop >Is now an expert on war and how horrible it is >Claims to have a better tactical and strategic vision than the generals, junior officers, and men involved in the fighting >Does not actually offer any alternatives >Bravest act ever personally performed: swearing at someone on KZfaq

I’m learning about WWI in school. My teacher was telling my class about this film. Then I found it and after watching it, I was blown away. I now know how harsh, difficult, and scary it was. I can’t imagine how scary it was. I’m so glad I found this. Incredible film, great job. Thank you veterans, thank you.

The ending made me feel something I haven’t felt before. A sense of just emptiness and coldness. Slightly sad but almost devoid of emotion. This is art. And just the title of “Coward” is so.... melancholy.

One of the most excellent displays of film I've seen. I was moved.

I thought this was some meme shit but it was some deep shit

His cousin had to be his executioner. That's... there are no words for how awful that is.

Why is this the first time I'm seeing this? Thank you youtube recommendations. The acting was unbelievably good, the visuals and set design amazing, it felt real, dark, and gritty as ww1 is often described.

I can’t stop the tears. Fantastic videography, actors, and it was so atmospheric. Just like being there. But no one will ever know what it was like except those that were there. Absolute hell. RIP 🪦 to the fallen. And thank you for making this film.

If you pause the video in the opening credits, your mouse will fit perfectly into the bottom of the K's in the text.

You thought WW2 was nasty combat...I think I'd rather do that than WWI trench warfare. I mean, you've got hundreds of guys literally drowning in the mud, wasting energy constantly digging in between getting shot at, ALWAYS being wet and practically rotting away from it, navigating a maze of dead men and enemies, and being ordered to CHARGE directly into machine gun fire when you aren't huddling in a trench.

my grandad was born in the workhouse. Fought in WW1 in the Irish Brigade died in WW2 ( 1944) from his wounds. He was wounded in WW1 and sent back and then gased in Flanders amongst the barley. It took 28 years for him to die from the chlorine gas, he suffered a lot

The acting, lighting, props and everything else is perfect This is much better than hollywood itself!

I'm an American. I'm proud of my country for the most part, but I'm sick of all these ignorant morons thinking we won the war by ourselves. We just mopped up a tired, hungry, sick, poorly-supplied German army that didn't even know why they were fighting in the first place. So, if you have anything to say, let it be respect for those who gave everything for their country, regardless of the flag they fought for. If you disagree with me, read All Quiet on the Western Front.

My great great grandad fought here and unfortunately was killed in action A war where lions were led by donkeys

Very moving and excellent portrayal of what is sadly true of so many cases .... Brave men who did their duty and more, yet were given a label they never deserved and consigned to be an ill memory for decades. They deserved so much more 😢

I fought in combat. I seen what it does to people. This is f*cking heart breaking.

I cannot even begin to imagine what war must have been like in the trenches. I can’t think of a harder position to put a soldier in for any amount of time. Always scared. Always on edge. Always ready to die. God bless the men who served in ww1. True warriors.

If the actor playing the lead character looks familiar to you, it's because he played a marine in HBO's The Pacific.

Seeing this 5 years later still jerked at my heart strings. How can I be a coward when all that I can hear is telling me to run.

This is brilliantly done from the first minute. I work in film, or formerly did until I got sick of the politicking. I’d love to create and work on a small production like this, filmed with excellent skill and produced with passion. Keep going!

I think real patriotism isn't just being proud of your country, but being proud of the countries who fought with you, as well as against you. Mutual respect does wonders, and believe it or not, not all the Nazis or even the Japanese were truly bad.

"Coward" the WW1 film I shot is now online in full, in1080p, on KZfaq "COWARD"

i love how theres no music in the saddest moment i think this makes it better

88 years to pardon men who were already dead. Honestly sometimes when I do get nostalgic for the past and wonder if things are getting better I just have to remember the utter indifference and ignorance of the past. Things aren't perfect today but they're considerably better in many ways.

damn! imagine what director david roddham and his team could do with michael bay's budget. incredible. this is what youtube should be used for. this and educational videos. wow! just...wow!

Only 88 years to pardon men for suffering from battle fatigue/shell shock. Far Too Little Far Too Late. It should have been done 88 years ago *not* 88 years later.

This was absolutely brutally amazing. Had me hooked from start to finish.

The effort put into this is beyond breathtaking

this short film was made 3 years ago and its better quality than most of the movies we have now.

Never again! Next time we fight as brothers. Best wishes from Germany.

That was a VERY short 25 minutes. BRILLIANT short film!!

My great grandfather was an Anzac for the 14th reinforced infantry brigade he lost his leg and got to go to Gallipoli and luckily survived otherwise I wouldn't be here today

As a combat vet with a serious head injury from a VBIED that medically retired me, this ripped my heart out.

“War doesn’t end fighting, it’s awakens a bigger fight in the future”

The BEST 28 minutes I have spent in a very long time. Very well done and explains so much of what was wrong. I have so much respect for those who fought in WW1. The way I feel, as I learn about this horrible war is like I was there. It is so close to my heart. I have so much respect for all but the Germans.I am an American and try to learn as much as I can about this war. I must go to The Somme and the surrounding region. Thank you for showing this!

please. make this a short series, so much potential here that NEEDS to be tapped. even a movie plz

My uncle had shell shock. Unfortunately he lived in a small town and committed suicide.

It left me speechless. The way it looks. How it's accurate. How it is. Perfect. Great Job. Great f*cking job.

How can anyone put a thumbs down for this wonderful video. Those poor guys went through hell and it was the same for the Germans. That bloody officer should have gone and got the gun.He was the weak one. He knew that they were friends, but he made his friend kill him.Half of those officers had no back bone.Whoever fought in those terrible wars, God Bless them all.🥰😀😷🦋🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Thank you Stephen. This just about sums it up. Lost my teenage Great Uncle at Ypres . Suckered into falsifying his age and volunteering. Another young Aussie gone for nothing.

As someone from Northern Ireland, I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about this, the war can't be understood by people who weren't there to experience it, so all we can do is respect them. Big respect to all British soldiers who fought during the war, and to my great grandfather, who was killed in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Reasons why the losses during WW1 were so high: - - shithead officers like the one shown in the movie (arrogant, steeped in prestige and rank, oblivious to the changing nature of warfare) - ignorance towards new weapons like long-range artillery and machine guns - clinging to outdated tactics (massed infantry charges). The British lost almost 20.000 soldiers during the first day during the Battle of the Somme on July 1st 1916, largely because they had completely overestimated the effectiveness of their artillery barrage and sent their troops against almost fully intact prepared German positions. All the Germans had to do was hold down the trigger and watch the British corpses pile up in front of them. The German word for "battle" is "Schlacht". And the German verb "schlachten" means "to butcher/to slaughter". Which is exactly what happened. But the way those suffering from shell shock (today known as PTSD) were treated was truly appauling: If they weren't shot for cowardice on the spot, they were "treated" with methods we'd consider torture today. I don't think that anyone can be considered a coward, who has seen such hell.

This was done really well. Bravo. Seriously whomever did this film has talent

Anyone else notice how the guy playing James is Martin McCann, the same guy who starred in HBO's "The Pacific"?

I think the one thing about this that stood out to me was the artillery barrage. My understanding is that, typically they would go on for hours, days, or even weeks at a time. While the one that takes place is shocking and terrifying, what I find even more disturbing is that the shelling would then continue with no break for what must have felt like years. There wasn't a sudden shock and then silence and a chance to gather yourself, it was just endless noise and fear and death. No respite....

*refuses to retreat *is a coward

Quality work, all those involved should be proud.

The absolute waste of human beings ever imagined these poor men born during the wrong time had to suffer from these officers who'd never had to suffer going over the top but were so quick to judge for cowardice when in fact it was shell shocked

So rather than appreciate this film and the tragic story it tells, people are, of course, just blindly throwing their limited political/historic/geographic knowledge back and fourth as if they speak for the world. Painful to read these comments.

When you see the images of shell shock victims from WWI that gives you an inkling of what the horrors of that war were. A disgtaceful war with no winners only loosers, the reparations from the Versai treaty led directly to WWII so add those deaths to the 50million in WWI to get the full cost.

All brothers in Arms.....100 years on we have deserted them..... god bless all those that fought for their cause. Rest in Peace

I have been to Flanders’s fields and cried and watching this short episode I cried again. I am a lucky man.

Instead of pardoning 88 years after why not apologize

Bro that shit was good. Plus that's easily one of the more realistic looking WWI battlefields I've scene in cinema.

My great-grandfather was in WW1 he was Irish. When he got home he got shell shock.

Makes my heart break this, knowing it was true. The main character plays it so well.

I realize that they tried to compress a battle into a few minutes, but in 1917 that officer would not have called that attack off. He would instead be ordered to send brigade after brigade after brigade of boys right into the machine gun fire.

This movie, however short it is, is amazing. It's beautifully put together, well scripted, and the actors do an amazing job.

I love how this doesn't hold any punches and portrays WWI as the literal hell it was.

The beginning already makes me know that this is gonna be a beautiful movie ❤️