CycleChat Investigates - War! What is it good for?

[Blue Hills]

!o

Very interesting. It was essentially a propaganda film about how a small village was taken over by a band of Nazi soldiers dressed in British uniforms being aided and abetted by a fith columnist, a stalwart of village society. Quite why the authorities chose to release this storyline at this time (1942) I can’t figure, can’t have been due to impending invasion so maybe telling people to look our for spies? It is based on a Graham Greene novel.
Apparently the landlord of the pub used up all his alcohol allowance on the film crew, became distraught and commitEd suicde.
Look out for a young Harry Fowler who later went on to become a star of The Army Game TV show.

By the time the film was released it is true that the imminent threat of invasion had passed. I still think it interesting to see how folk were prepared for that maybe happening.
For its time (you have to make allowances) i think the way it deals with death amongst the civilian population is pretty strong. There is a very memorable scene where a middle aged woman throws herself on a grenade to shield some children.
I think it a very good film, should be better known.
On a lighter note, the windmill above turville was a key location for chitty chitty bang bang.

 

[Blue Hills]

One which i'd be easy about being burned.
So pre-empting anyone who might be tempted to nominate it.
La vita e bella/life is beautiful.
Another shoddy italian effort (silvio production no less)
Mediterraneo.

 

[Blue Hills]

Have a good memory of
Cross of iron
But haven't seen it since its first release.

Downfall.
Nominated.
Knocks the two italian efforts upthread into the sewers where they would be best left to wallow.

 

[Profpointy]

And yet another one

"Rome, Open City" a cinematic masterpiece of Italian post war cinema. We were lucky to see it on screen at our local arts cinema.

 

[Blue Hills]

And yet another one

"Rome, Open City" a cinematic masterpiece of Italian post war cinema. We were lucky to see it on screen at our local arts cinema.

interesting film to be sure.
Has been somewhat criticised for its veracity though.

 

[RoubaixCube]

A lot of good movies are missing but there are some good ones on that list.... All good in their own ways. Either the story line/script or the actors themselves we really good. so you cant pick just one and not have the others.

A bridge too far

Tora Tora Tora

Steel Helmet

Men in War

Torpedo run

Mosquito Squadron

633 Squadron

midway (1976)

Air Force (1943)

Attack on the Iron Coast

Sink the Bismark

Tobruk

Battle of the River Plate

Sahara (1943)
----

Gregory Peck, John Wayne, Richard Burton, Aldo Ray, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin... and so many more great actors...


(Ive seen all of the movies ive mentioned - All good movies in their own ways)

So i wont be taking part in the poll

 

[Blue Hills]

The Victors
intelligent humane film - though long no battle scenes to speak of.
Apparently seriously mucked around with on release so the full version may never be seen.
I found it so interesting catching it on telly at an odd hour (it turned up again a week or two ago) that I read a book by the author of the tale the film is taken from - Alexander Baron - he served in the italian campaign and has a really interesting - genuine feeling - take on the experiences of the soldiers and the italian civilians - also on relationships between men and women in the war.
Some folk thing the ending somewhat heavy on the symbolism but I think it a great somewhat ignored film.

 

[Dave Davenport]

If you had to vote for one I'd go for Das Boot, but the 6 hour series that went out on the BBC in the mid 80's rather than the 2&1/2 hour film version (I know there are longer film versions and a 'directors' cut but the shortened version is the one released in cinemas and that gets shown on telly). In similar vein, Band of Brothers would be a close second.

 

[swee'pea99]

!o

By the time the film was released it is true that the imminent threat of invasion had passed. I still think it interesting to see how folk were prepared for that maybe happening.
For its time (you have to make allowances) i think the way it deals with death amongst the civilian population is pretty strong. There is a very memorable scene where a middle aged woman throws herself on a grenade to shield some children.
I think it a very good film, should be better known.
On a lighter note, the windmill above turville was a key location for chitty chitty bang bang.

You bring to mind another oddity - It Happened Here: a low-budget British movie based on the aftermath of a successful invasion/occupation by the Germans. A labour of love begun by a couple of teenagers using pretty much entirely non-actors which ended up taking eight years to complete and, despite the thin budget showing through, is actually quite disturbing - not least in the way that it illustrates just how comfortably a certain kind of jobsworth/little Hitler Brit would fit into that environment.

 

[C R]

Johnnie got his gun

 

[Drago]

I'm surprised how little love there is for the Cockleshell Heroes. True story, Trevor Howard, Anthony newly, brilliant performance from Jose Ferrer. And it's in colour!

 

[Blue Hills]

You bring to mind another oddity - It Happened Here: a low-budget British movie based on the aftermath of a successful invasion/occupation by the Germans. A labour of love begun by a couple of teenagers using pretty much entirely non-actors which ended up taking eight years to complete and, despite the thin budget showing through, is actually quite disturbing - not least in the way that it illustrates just how comfortably a certain kind of jobsworth/little Hitler Brit would fit into that environment.

yes it's very well known, used to be quoted in lots of brit film histories, but I've never seen it.
One for Talking Pictures maybe?
Yes - I'm sure a fair few brits would have fitted in/accommodated themselves/justified their useful (for them) new position/stance. A fair few on the cchat politics thread would probably have their snouts in the trough.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'm surprised how little love there is for the Cockleshell Heroes. True story, Trevor Howard, Anthony newly, brilliant performance from Jose Ferrer. And it's in colour!

How true is it?
Am always wary of films "based on a true story" - I'd rather have a work of fiction that told a truth.
This is the reason I avoided the recent churchill film in the cinema - then saw it on telly more recently and my worst fears were confirmed.

 

[swee'pea99]

snouts in the trough

It's actually less about greed than puffed up self-importance and an enthusiasm for bossing people around. Rings horribly true anyway.

 

[Blue Hills]

It's actually less about greed than puffed up self-importance and an enthusiasm for bossing people around. Rings horribly true anyway.

thanks for the correction.
where did you see it?
your revised interpretation would still apply to a few in the politics bit though