Did you people see the same film I saw?

An absolute waste of money

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Although the film was made at the height of WW2 and clearly aimed at keeping up British morale, it is an immensely impressive film. At its heart, it's the story of very normal people doing extraordinary heroic things. A typical middle-age post-mistress, clubs a German to death with an axe. Middle aged men (who had presumably fought in WW1) face and kill German soldiers. A sailor, on leave to get married, leads the fight against the German infiltration. The 'lady of the manor' throws herself onto a hand grenade to save the children. Although this may sound blood thirsty, it's handled in a typically low- key manner. Whether today's population could do the same is questionable.

No need to recap the plot.When I first saw the film some 60-years ago, I was so enthused, I told all my little friends. Unfortunately, they could have cared less. Despite that initial impression, the movie slowly faded from memory, never showing up again on TV, at least that I saw. Then, I caught it once more on TCM the other night. After all, that poetic title is unforgettable.Beyond the years, the sheer drama still impresses-- the sudden jarring violence, the boldness of concept, a general sense of unpredictability. I'm sure this is what captivated me the first time around. Too bad these were generally not features of American movies at the time. But now I recognize the propaganda aspects, particularly the Nazi stereotypes. The Germans are one and all, cruel, ruthless, and harsh sounding, except for the Quisling (Banks). The British, on the other hand, are selfless, brave, and thoughtful. Of course, it was wartime 1942, so what can be expected. Still, propaganda remains an effective way of dehumanizing an enemy, regardless of the cause, and dates this production.Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the movie a second time around, especially seeing the country village and rolling countryside. Otherwise, I tend to think of England as being wall-to-wall cities, so that was refreshing. True, a part of me changed over the years, as it does for most of us. But there's still a part that enjoys good drama, and good drama the movie is.

A latterly controversial propaganda piece that even today represents a powerful, if transparently manipulative slice of British wartime filmmaking.Taken from a story by Graham Greene, the premise sees a chocolate box English country village, packed to the brim with staunch salt of the earth types from various strata of the class system, which plays host to a troop of Nazi invaders disguised as regular Tommies. The locals soon rumble the dastardly plan and gradually, as the bulldog spirit inevitably blooms and swells, turn the tables on their oppressors and merrily chop, shoot, stab, strangle, punch and grenade the evil Hun interlopers into submission – well, death really.The villagers – from the lady of the manor to the lowly poacher and the local postmistress – are hewn from ye olde stout oak of English courage and fortitude, every man jack of 'em. The Nazi troops are evil, barbaric, baby-bayoneting, child-murdering dictators through and through. They have no redeeming features whatsoever. They are uniformly inhuman.Many of the villagers get blown away – main characters die indiscriminately – but they all cop it doing their duty and performing deeds of selfless heroism or flag-waving moral defiance. The Germans buy it because they deserve to, and that's reason enough here.The controversy heaped on the film in later times stems from it being so amazingly subversive in its approach along with the gleeful degree of sadistic violence suggested on screen. In one scene the local postmistress throws pepper in the eyes of a Nazi trooper and then whacks him into the next world with an axe. She is subsequently brutally transfixed with a bayonet when another Nazi walks in on the scene. Earlier the local vicar is shot point blank in the church by a Nazi officer – no concept of sanctuary or God, you see? There's more, much more, but it's best to see and enjoy (or not) for yourself.I love this film on two levels. Firstly, as a remarkable historical artifact depicting a fantasy England that never was and never will be. It smartly dupes you into wanting to believe that this is just the way it was and truly should have been. You end up thinking maybe it was a lot like this back then. Even though you know full well it wasn't. Secondly, it's a bloody good crack. It demonises and dehumanises the enemy of old and is more black and white than hot tar on a freshly laundered bed sheet. There is plenty of action and slaughter, and even though it's tame by modern standards due to a lack of explicit visuals, what it suggests by leaving sight unseen is a force to be reckoned with. There is no doubt who to root for. On the one hand a group of righteous, good, humane, patriotic and caring folk (us). On the other, a bunch of irredeemably evil bastards out to butcher you and your kids (them). Clear enough.Racist, bigoted, xenophobic, prejudiced and wholly simplistic. But in the context of the times, perhaps not without some justification. And possibly one of the best British war films ever made. Seek it out.

This film may be a propaganda piece but isn't heavy handed so is still exciting today. It opens with a man explaining why there is a memorial cross to several Germans in the middle of a quiet English village; he tells us that the war is over and Hitler's army has been defeated but back in 1942 a battle took place there: The Battle of Bramley End. We then return to see those events; several lorries loaded with what appears to be Royal Engineers turn up and their commanding officer informs the locals that they will be conducting exercises in the area and are to be billeted with the locals and in the village hall. At first their cover holds but they make a few small mistakes that leads one of the locals to get suspicious; she takes her concerns to a pillar of the community; not knowing that he is in fact a German agent. With the cover blown the Germans round up the villages and take them to the church. At first it looks as if there is nothing the villagers can do but they won't take the invasion lying down and start to figure out how they can alert the outside world... many of them will die in the struggle but they will ultimately prevail.Watching this film in peacetime 2012 it is impossible to know how viewers would have felt watching it in wartime 1942; the immediate threat of invasion had passed but the war was still far from over. Watching it in a peacetime context it is an exciting drama with plenty of action; much of it shockingly brutal for a film of its time... an elderly woman kills a German with an axe, another woman is killed by a grenade and a group of Home Guard soldiers are brutally machine-gunned; there may not be the blood splatters of modern films but that doesn't lesson its impact. The inhabitants clearly represent a cross section of society; the lady of the manor, the local poacher and even a working class evacuee play their part in defeating the enemy; clearly a message that everybody was in it together and that by standing together the country would prevail over the Germans. If you enjoy war films this one is certainly worth checking out; it may not be among the best known but it is still an excellent film.