This is the film that asked a tired people to brace themselves. This is the film that convinced Churchill to use the might of film production to convince a nation to go, "once more unto the breach."
This is a hastily arranged film aimed at a market desperate to believe that a failing empire could still garner the resolve to batten down its hatches and take a further round of European conflict in its stride.
For sure it appears a ring rusty, awkward film at times. It is creaking at the seams but it is there to show a nation's resolve -without completely showing its hand; (RADAR) is missing in action (obviously) but this was WAR, its ghastliness, expecting fortitude from a war weary population on its home front, and its expectation form such a populace when duty calls a nation to arms.
The dog fight, overseen by a listening Richardson before returning to the comfy bosom of his wife, foretells the battle of Britain, spooky - Heir Hitler clearly didn't take note!
Old fashioned at times but this was film of its time -insofar that its expected film watchers would include many about to lose their own lives and bracing a nations youth to fight against the Nazi war machine. Oberon's appeal to a nation's mothers, about to lose their children, is appalling in its content -yet is moving and worthy of my giving the film a full ten. The film, conveniently, illustrates the British humour, with a tired shift working Richardson falling asleep whilst Oberon makes her appeal!
This film changed a nations resolve, it really was that important a film. Watch it and wonder if we have that ability within ourselves and our factories today? Put yourself in the minds of the millions that stopped a war machine in its tracks, alone for almost two bloody years, whilst the rest of the free world held its breath...
This is a hastily arranged film aimed at a market desperate to believe that a failing empire could still garner the resolve to batten down its hatches and take a further round of European conflict in its stride.
For sure it appears a ring rusty, awkward film at times. It is creaking at the seams but it is there to show a nation's resolve -without completely showing its hand; (RADAR) is missing in action (obviously) but this was WAR, its ghastliness, expecting fortitude from a war weary population on its home front, and its expectation form such a populace when duty calls a nation to arms.
The dog fight, overseen by a listening Richardson before returning to the comfy bosom of his wife, foretells the battle of Britain, spooky - Heir Hitler clearly didn't take note!
Old fashioned at times but this was film of its time -insofar that its expected film watchers would include many about to lose their own lives and bracing a nations youth to fight against the Nazi war machine. Oberon's appeal to a nation's mothers, about to lose their children, is appalling in its content -yet is moving and worthy of my giving the film a full ten. The film, conveniently, illustrates the British humour, with a tired shift working Richardson falling asleep whilst Oberon makes her appeal!
This film changed a nations resolve, it really was that important a film. Watch it and wonder if we have that ability within ourselves and our factories today? Put yourself in the minds of the millions that stopped a war machine in its tracks, alone for almost two bloody years, whilst the rest of the free world held its breath...