VIMY, FRANCE – Veteran Canadian actor Paul Gross recalled the horrors of Passchendaele (the film) and the effects of disappointing an audience at the ceremonies celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
“I had high hopes about writing, producing, directing, and starring in a movie based on my grandfather’s service during the Great War,” explained Gross to an attentive crowd. “Like many of the brave Canadian soldiers who enlisted, I thought I was going to have an adventure and pay homage to a country that I love.”
However, he could have never anticipated that the plot would drag on into a long stalemate between the protagonist, a nurse, and a whiny asthmatic boy far away from the battlefield in Calgary.
“Many Canadians who watched the film were traumatized with boredom,” Gross said with a sigh. “Audiences as young as 14 told me my movie sucked until the last 15 minutes.”
Critics were relentless with barrage after barrage of bad reviews.
Historians are still uncertain about what was more of a let-down; the Pyrrhic victory obtained by Canadian soldiers in 1917 at Passchendaele or the 2008 movie that was supposed to be about the battle.
The costs were staggering and tragic; his film only earned $4.5 million at the box office while losing $20 million on the budget.
Gross nearly paid the ultimate sacrifice, but thanks to many patriotic Canadians and government film grants, he was able to keep his career and recover.
“But, was it worth it?”
