hyped garbage

Highly Overrated But Still Good

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Set in an unspecified Nazi-occupied European town, this World War II drama from Jean Renoir focuses on a timid primary school teacher who gradually decides to take a stance amidst the censorship of textbooks, the arrest of his principal and Nazi accusations of sabotage. The film is not especially subtle with its anti-Nazi messages and loses its power towards the end with too much preaching and lecturing, but for the most part, this is an enticing drama through and through. Charles Laughton delivers an arguable career best performance as the teacher in question who credibly transforms from mild-mannered to confident and eloquent as he finally stands up for what is right in his eyes. Whether it be cowering during an air raid or getting flabbergasted as the principal is escorted off site, Laughton is convincing cowardly to begin with, which serves to highlight his acting range as becomes adamant and articulate later on. The film as such works well as a character study quite aside from its anti-Nazi slant. Laughton's lust for a much younger teacher (played by Maureen O'Hara) is the only aspect of his characterisation that does not quite work since so little is done to establish her as a character and explore the pair's history together, but the film does at least tackles this angle without sappiness. O'Hara also has at least one memorable scene in which she gets her kids to sing during an air raid to take their mind off the noise of the shelling. The very fine black and white cinematography is by Frank Redman, who worked under Nicholas Musuraca on the 'Cat People' films.

Despite a slightly confusing location and a distinctively international cast, this is a great film which would have certainly had a positive influence on an audience, who in 1943 were in the middle of the war. The cast is excellent and the Director has not made the mistake of over vilifying the Nazis. The collaborators are also presented as normal citizens who have simply mad bad choices; either for an easy life, because they believe it is good for their community or to protect their families. This is a classic tale of courage, with an excellent finale set in a courtroom. Laughton (playing Albert) who up to this point has played a timid school teacher brilliantly delivers an emotive speech, leaving you with a sense of pride for him and hope for the occupied nation. This is timeless, a must see!

I've just been reading some positive comments about this movie which I find difficult to agree with. Surely it could only have been shot in a Canadian lumber camp given the wooden performances by virtually the entire cast. I couldn't believe it was made by the same director who gave us the sublime La Grand Illusion, also on the subject of war. George Sanders was beyond incredible and gave the impression he'd never been on a sound stage and in front of a camera in his life. With a Dudley Nichols screenplay you expect hoke but after Charles Laughton came out with 'You - my own mother ...' to Una O'Connor I kept waiting for the kicker 'Dead ... and never called me mother'. Okay, I know it was made in the heart of the war but so was Casablanca and there's no comparison. I was bewildered during the first two thirds when notorious ham Charles Laughton was playing subdued but he made up for it with his grandstanding in the courtroom scene. Instead of editing this they should have had Paul Bunyan take his axe to that cast.

This is more than a little picture.It is about reality in the world of today.Change does not mean it is good, and usually is not good.In many places like North Korea freedom taken by communism,Indonesia torture and murder by rabid Muslims,even mutilation of children because of their hatred for Christians. The cheap politics of the nations are creeping into America and our own politicians do nothing or they even welcome it. They use slanted words to hide the truth and people are lulled to sleep or excuse their selves because they refuse to stand for what is right.But unlike the school teacher, people can call their courage in to activity against tyranny.This land is ours if you are an American.Tell the jackasses and prevaricators to get out if they do not like our Constitution and our individuality and sovereignty.GREAT Movie; far above any thing that has come out of Fairywood in many years.