Academy Awards, USA 1944
| Nominated Oscar | Best Picture |
| Best Writing, Original Screenplay Noël Coward |
British Lion Film (UK)
Directed by Noël Coward
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)
The survivors of a sinking British warship recount their lives leading up to the outbreak of WWII. The captain, Noel Coward, remembers the idyllic previous summer spent with his wife and children in the countryside. He would be called to duty aboard the doomed ship rescuing stranded soldiers in Norway. Next, seaman John Mills recounts his whirlwind romance with pretty Kay Walsh while on shore leave. While he is called away for duty, his new wife and her relatives meet tragedy during the London Blitz. Back in the present, the survivors are hauled aboard a British destroyer and part ways for their new assignments. It is impossible to separate this production from the time in which it was made, the early days of WWII, and not to recognize it for what it is: a very well made piece of propaganda. It is nonetheless very entertaining, with some incredible shots of the sinking ship and a particularly moving flashback to the Blitz.
No comments:
Post a Comment