NZ film review - Field Punishment No:1 - out on DVD in the UK today   20 Apr 2015

Ally Fabish

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Excuse me a moment while I blow my nose and wipe my tears.

Brutal.  Incarceration.  Death.  A constant lump in my throat. Torture of fellow man.  These are the words I wrote whilst viewing this hard hitting, heartfelt New Zealand drama. 

Filmed on location in Auckland by Lippy Pictures, this is the story of 14 men who rose to become New Zealand’s first “conscientious objectors”.  These men who were opposed to war, were arrested and shipped off to front line battlefields to fight in France during World War One, by the New Zealand Government.   They were tortured, beaten, imprisoned and made to endure unbelievable pain inflicted by fellow New Zealand and Australian Army comrades who were ordered to do so by their peers.  Archie Baxter and his two brothers were amongst them and they weren’t alone in their beliefs; there were actually 1000’s of these men subjected to these barbaric inhumane rules. 

Based on a true story these men who refused to wear the Army uniform, were forcibly dressed and dragged by wire, through rivers and over stones for miles to the battle front, where they were made to watch the war exploding around them. The film captures every emotion, dipped in the pure essence of war.

On the battle front, Archie was asked “why don’t you fight?”

He simply said, “I believe man is better than this. When my son asks what I did in the war, I will tell him that I tried my hardest to stop it.  I’m not a soldier, I’m not a private, I’m a farmer from Otago”.

Imprisoned for long periods of time, they were tortured to near death, healed and tortured again.  Some were sent to Asylums and when one man asked why he was declared insane, the doctor simply said,

“They believe war is sane”

Some crumbled after losing strength to bear anymore pain and took up arms, to which the others fully supported them.  Without giving away too much of the end, some of these men went on to do great things.  One was a Member of the Upper House of New Zealand Parliament and another was a great poet.

A powerful film with real attitude, I couldn’t help but think of my father whos picture I have in a similar uniform as a very young man and thank god the New Zealand Government had come to its senses and changed the law by then.   

You won’t be disappointed with this inspiring film due to be released on DVD to coincide with Anzac day.  It will draw your breath and tug at your heart for the entirety of the film.

Who knows, perhaps if more felt this way the world wouldn’t be in such turmoil now.   We have ISIS fighters torturing and beheading people all in the name of fame, what else could it possibly be for? Their war stems from nothing more than ego "the big man in charge”.  Wars come from clash of religions, power, money and who is the biggest coward, for thats what it is, cowardly acts upon innocent people. A group of raving Neanderthal’s that think taking a human life is their right because once again they see themselves as some kind of ruler, the king of our world, when they are nothing more than little people with guns and knives.

Archie Baxter, I thank you for your passion, diligence and patience, but most of all for the pain you beared  and the memories that would have never left your mind, I want to thank the man that fought for the right to choose peace.

Lastly, I thought I would leave you with a poem I wrote a few years ago that won an International award.  A poem about a very small object that kills thousands every day. 

A Bullet.

Exploited Steel....

In darkness there is a flash

In daylight it comes silently

Life is taken, love is destroyed

Peace is accomplished

Shined and nurtured for future exploits

Dirty and lifeless its solemn figure

Death is its reward

War is its reason

Good can prevail from target seeded

Evil will prosper in its shadow

Cold, hard, its appearance holds power

Hot, melted, a new foundation of hope

Those that cherish will not walk long

Those that fear will climb mountains

No place today for its creation

Need was imminent from its conception

In darkness there is a flash

In daylight it comes silently

Life is taken, love is destroyed

Peace is accomplished….war is created 

By Ally Fabish  See more of Ally's work at AllyFabish.com

Field Punishment No. 1 comes to UK DVD on 20th April 2015 courtesy of Odyssey.  You can pre-order from Amazon here or you can head to our competitions page to enter for your chance to win a copy.  

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