Blockade

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source: Blockade

Blockade

Where indeed, Henry, where. Flat melodrama starring a miscast Henry Fonda tries to make a statement about the Spanish Civil War but falls short of its goal. I must say I'm impressed with some of the well-researched, beautifully written reviews on Imdb about this film. Why do the worst movies have some of the most detailed reviews? Maybe the reviewers feel the need to dissect bad films in an effort to determine what went wrong during production. How a movie with a good cast could be so bad. But I digress. If, in 2021, the Spanish Civil War is on your 'top ten' list of Things That Matter, you might enjoy this movie. Maybe even find a copy of the original movie poster and have it framed for $250.00 and hang it in your formal dining room. Whatever. Have your tea and granola bar and go back to bed. Cheers.

You'd really have to stretch to find a firm connection between this movie and the Spanish Civil War. If you were not a college student such as myself, studying this film, I doubt that you would even consider doing so. Remembering Franco is not a favorite pasttime of the people of this nation. It is a reminder of the fact that there was a leader who was willing to let his whole nation be decimated for personal gain. Yuckie! In the meantime, if you want cheesy, rigid filmmaking starring a paisley-cheeked Henry Fonda, look no further. Contains a love scene in a collapsed building, as well as a chicano actor pretending to be a spanish man pretending to play a flute. Dig the oxymoronic ending! WARNING!!! Cheesiness may not lead to as many laughs as cheesiness of Tremors!

The Fonda/Caroll romance is one of the weakest you can see in a thirties film.He seems to appear haphazardly at the most awkward moments.That leads us to a Corneille-like situation:Fonda has killed his love's father. Politically,the film remains vague,always referring to the enemy as "they" like in Borzage 's 'three comrades" (but that was a great film though).The war was over on the first of March 1939;thus the film ,made in 1938,warns us ,in a clumsy way,that it's only the beginning:propaganda movies can be great,but it takes a strong screenplay (best example:"the mortal storm" Frank Borzage) and not a cat and mouse play between spies ,corrupt officers and profiteers of war. In consequence ,the best scenes ,IMHO,are those which deal with the masses;the starving faces ,watching the ship sinking down are reminiscent of Eisenstein,whose influence was huge at the time.