The Truth Behind Great War Battle Scenes Great War ‘Kinematographers’ faced immense challenges. Their cameras were heavy, fragile, and difficult to manoeuvre, making it almost impossible to capture authentic battle scenes without exposing themselves to extreme danger. As a result, much of the footage shown in Great War films relied on carefully staged reenactments rather than real combat. The best-known example is Geoffrey Malins, who assembled most of the material for the 1916 film ‘The Battle