Too much of everything

So much average

Blistering performances.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The perfect state of emergency film, made during the war to prepare for the worst, with marvellous photography and eloquent staging - the suggestive scenes from inside the church lift the film to almost a Powell-Pressburger level. However, the story is absurd, this never happened and never could happen, and the so called Germans are pathetically unconvincing, even David Farrar and Leslie Banks. The story is Graham Greene's, and it almost touches Orwellian science fiction in its lack of credibility, no matter how realistically and well done it has been made. The women and children are the best actors, and the film is mainly worth seeing for their sake. Nevertheless, in spite of its absurdity, it's a remarkable film, and some scenes are unforgettable. The psychology of the drama of an emergency situation is very neatly realized, as first the overwhelming shock of the conquering attack, then the first resistance awakens to start with some poor tragically failed efforts, to eventually make a breakthrough and triumph. It's the whole story of the second world war in the nutshell of a small village in Britain.

This film is certainly well worth the view of seeing.The citizens of a remote British town find themselves visited by an English army there for engineering reasons and through an accident, they discover that they're dealing with Germans disguised as British. When this is discovered, the Germans hold everyone at bay, take hostages and plan to execute young children when they encounter resistance.This excellent film details the brave stalwarts of the town who fought back against the enemy and as a cohesive force, they were able to repel the Nazis. Brutality is the name of the game here, as it is practiced in the usual Nazi way of doing things with occupied people.

***SPOILERS**** Long forgotten British war propaganda movie that was rediscovered some 50 years after it's initial release in 1942 about a German invasion of the British Isles by a company of 60 elite German paratroopers disguised as British Royal Engineers. Being sent into, by the German High Command, the little town of Barmley End the Germans make themselves at home eating and boozing as well as living it up until the daughter of the town religious leader Vicar Ashton, C.V French, Nora, Valerie Taylor, notices that they aren't exactly British or even kosher! That among other things in their card playing in using Germanic like elongated fives and crossed sevens in keeping the score of the cards games their playing as well as eating chocolate bars with German not English lettering on them. There's also the town Squire Ollie Wilsford, Leslie Banks, who's secretly working with the Germans-Nazis in tricking the townspeople that their the good guys fighting against not for the cause of world fascism.It doesn't take long for the people in Barmley End to figure out what's happening and that leads for the Germans taking them hostage in the town church and whacking the Vicar when he tried to get the word out on the outside world, by ringing the church bell, warning of the coming German invasion of Great Britain. And it's little Georgie, Harry Fowler, who after being shot in the leg by the German invaders who ends up getting to word out in his Paul Revere like ride or run to the nearest British Army post for help. The British population of Barmly End show that an armed populace, with just two tommy-guns and a pistol, is far more effective then a standing army in fighting off an enemy invasion of their country; Anyone for the 2nd amendment if you please. And they end up doing a far much better job in holding off the German invaders then the British Army and local militia who end up taking the most casualties in the fighting. As for Nora she put an end to traitor Ollie Wilsford by blasting him before he can make his escape with his beloved and retreating Germans out of the town.This entire story is told to us by Brmley End's grizzled old philosopher Mervyn Jones, Charles Sims, in what looks like a futuristic scene, when then war was over and the British were victorious, explaining to the audience that the only British territory that the Germans captured was the ground that they, the 60 elite German paratroopers, were buried on. Thus the wise old and a bit confused Marvyn showing sings of early stages of Alzheimer's Disease in forgetting the fact of the German occupation of the British Channel Islands that they were in control of for some- from 1940 to 1945-five years.

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.