A superb wartime propaganda piece from ealing and a classic war film, 1942s went the day well. I have seen this film numerous times and always love it. During the second world war a group of british soldiers arrive in the small, fictitious english village of bramley end. For free with duration 88 min and released on 19420628 and mpaa rating is 1. It tells of how an english village is taken over by german paratroopers. Classic wartime propaganda thriller based on a short story by graham greene. No central figure, other than the heroic people of. During the second world war, a platoon of german paratroopers plan to place a signalling device in an english village in preparation for an upcoming invasion.
I had seen the film, probably at the nft, a long time ago. Critical essay journal of popular film and television, summer, 2003, by s. An english village is occupied by disguised german paratroopers as an advance post for a planned invasion. One of the most subversive films to come out of world war ii, a british drama that was unsettling in its day and is even more so now. Major hammond basil sydney creates quite a stir when he and his men show up unannounced for military exercises. Reviews, interviews and features from the international film magazine. Directed by alberto cavalcanti written by john dighton, diana morgan, and angus macfail from a story by graham greene 1942uk.
At the time i had just started to research the subject. A surprisingly hardedged propaganda drama which reveals a rather steely determination under the rosy cheeked village veneer. The author examines the development and reception of two british feature films in the context of changing british perceptions of germany. Alberto cavalcanti, 1942 is one of the most effective wartime films. Went the day well digitally restored 80 years of ealing dvd. Released in the us as fortyeight hours, went the day well.
Occasional scenes of moderate violence include shootings and implied stabbings using bayonets. Based on a short story by the renowned graham green, the story behind the film production of went the day well. Ironically, in the preface to this collection, greene writes, in part, that he missed seeing the movie because he was out of england on war assignment. Mrs fraser who lives in the manor house in bramley end in the film is a sixtysomething woman who is presumably. Is a classic piece of propagandist entertainment, a warning to british citizens to remain ever alert for the arrival of the enemy. With much modern history tending to focus on the indoctrination and brainwashing of the nazi party in germany, this ealing studios rerelease is a refreshing change of perspective, showing how the british instructed their civilians to think. The village of bramley end, england, after the end of world war ii.
It is in black and white which gives you the rawness of the times. At first they are welcomed by the villagers, until doubts begin to. An english village is occupied by disguised german paratroopers as an advance post for a. Villagers resist when german paratroopers invade an english village and the squire proves to be a quisling. Incredible to think this film was made in 1942 when 2 years earlier the british public were in. The eagle has landed made you have sympathy for the germans, went the day well made the germans look really despicable.
One day, he is arrested and put into jail, in solitary confinement. Movies nick both fascinating as a historical artifactit presented a postwartype view during the warand simply as e statement on what makes a society run, through thick and thin. The main feature and some extras have english subtitles. For the film group this month i chose went the day well. Sight of blood and injury detail is limited, including one brief scene in which a gunshot wound in a boys leg is treated. One of the more serious films made to show the british public what might happen if the nazis invaded england. Cavalcantis wartime film, based on a story by graham greene. Starring leslie banks, mervyn johns, basil sydney, c. Published two years earlier, greenes story concerned a village poacher and boer war veteran, who singlehandedly foils the nazis attempt to invade a sleepy rural.
The plot gradually gains pace and the atmosphere is tense as the ordinary english folk rally round to face the professional soldiers of nazi germany. And the fact that the film, made in 1942 but assuming a putative postwar victory, portrays that confidence manifestly. Based on the story by grahame greene, went the day well. France the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 36 min, and received a score of out of 100 on metacritic. Loosely based on a 1940 magazine story by graham greene called the lieutenant died last. Even though that particular threat had diminished somewhat by the time of the films 1942 released, the movie was like an emotional injection that encouraged resilience, vigilance and courage. They are welcomed by the residents, until it is revealed they are german paratroopers serving as the vanguard for the invasion. A lberto cavalcantis 1942 film, presented as part of a new bfi retrospective, is a wartime conspiracy thriller. That is the important date to bear in mind when watching this film.
The new bfi restoration of cavalcantis went the day well opened 9 july 2010. Disguised as british troops, all goes according to plan until vigilant local postmistress mrs collins. That was when the film was made, and when the uk cinema auidences watching it knew that all that separated them from invasion was a few miles of sea. Now that you mention it, saturday, may 23, 1942, started off nicely enough in the hamlet of bramley end with the preparations for a wedding being a particular highlight. If so many can overlook the propaganda of obsolete films like battleship potemkin, there is certainly room for this picture.
Thorold dickinson, 1942, to highlight the dangers of a nazi invasion, went the day well. It said that britain could win and would stop at nothing in so doing, and that was a fairly accurate assessment of what subsequently happened. Once the villagers discover the true identity of the troops they do whatever they can to thwart the nazis plans. Actually, the film covers 72 hours in the life of the small british village of bramley green, which serves as the focal point for an attempted german invasion. Directed by alberto cavalcanti it is a propaganda style film made in 1942 and depicts what might have happened if german. In the fictional village of bramley end, a platoon of british soldiers arrive on maneuvers. Dedication page to all those who appreciate the great british wartime film went the day well. Alberto cavalcantis film tells the story of a quiet english village which has been infiltrated by german soldiers masquerading as british troops, leaving the. The fact that most of the heroic protagonists are female andor middleaged very home front is a great appeal and only makes the small schisms of violence all the more believable in the pursuit of self and homeland preservation. It was produced by michael balcon of ealing studios and served as unofficial propaganda for the war effort. How many films and tv shows have left you quaking at the thought of your quiet home town being overrun. In the churchyard, the verger points out the german graves and begins to relate the events leading up to the battle of bramley end.
St mary the virgin, turville, buckinghamshire pretty much unchanged to this day, the village is also seen in 2009s oscarnominated an education, and is overlooked by the windmill from chitty chitty bang bang. Anton ludvik, aka gerard, is viceminister of foreign affairs of czechoslovakia. It was used again in world war ii memorials, and it sets exactly the right mood for the eponymous english drama directed by alberto cavalcanti at ealing studios in 1942. Alberto cavalcantis 1942 film, presented as part of a new bfi retrospective, is a wartime conspiracy thriller, a blackcomic nightmare and a. Alberto cavalcanti, 1942 is one of the most effective wartime films, although it suffered from the fact that, by the time of its release, the real threat of invasion had passed. Based on graham greenes short story the lieutenant died last screenplay by john dighton.
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