This Land Is Mine

source: This Land Is Mine

Moviecut—This Land Is Mine

I found this gem of a movie on television. Charles Laughton was outstanding. He conveyed perfectly the thesis of the film: that Nazism and the New World Order depended on corrupting those they occupied, tempting them with rewards for betraying their fellow countrymen more than even the brutal intimidation we are all familiar with. I was also quite interested to see the collaboration between the big industrialists and the Nazis, who corrupted them by catering to their anti-unionism. The fact that being against unions was a pillar of Nazi ideology has not been well known, but Renoir's film made it crystal clear. All the performances were well above par; Sanders played the self-seeking weasel who has a change of conscience very well, in a very legible, nuanced way. Maureen O'Hara was also excellent, as always. But it was Charles Laughton, standing before the collaborators, Nazis and his own mother as he comes to realize how crucial the Rights of Man are to living decently and honorably, who wins the day.

This is more than a little picture.It is about reality in the world of today.Change does not mean it is good, and usually is not good.In many places like North Korea freedom taken by communism,Indonesia torture and murder by rabid Muslims,even mutilation of children because of their hatred for Christians. The cheap politics of the nations are creeping into America and our own politicians do nothing or they even welcome it. They use slanted words to hide the truth and people are lulled to sleep or excuse their selves because they refuse to stand for what is right.But unlike the school teacher, people can call their courage in to activity against tyranny.This land is ours if you are an American.Tell the jackasses and prevaricators to get out if they do not like our Constitution and our individuality and sovereignty.GREAT Movie; far above any thing that has come out of Fairywood in many years.

This Land is Mine (1943) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Jean Renoir directed this drama about a coward school teacher (Charles Laughton) who must find bravery when Nazis overtake his small French town. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this film as I've read some negative reviews of it, which I really don't understand. A lot of reviews called this film dated but I think it holds up a lot better than any of the political movies of the 1940's. God knows there were countless movies made to make people feel strong about the war but this one here is very smart and intelligent about its subject matter and Renoir incredibly sensitive direction makes this a highly memorable movie. The performances are all great with Laughton turning in one of his finest performances. He perfectly shows his characters coward side at the start but his final speech in the courtroom was highly emotional and heartbreaking. The supporting cast is equally great and that includes Maureen O'Hara as another teacher, George Sanders as her informant boyfriend and Una O'Connor as Laughton's mother. Kent Smith nearly steals the show as a man who people thinks is supporting the Germans but instead has his own plans. I really found this film to be suspenseful and heartbreaking from start to finish. The movie never pulls any punches and even the uplifting ending isn't a cop out.

About half way through this film I became aware that I was in the presence of greatness. It may not be perfect but it is about as good films got during the war. Many films at the time were made that painted the Nazi occupation as a black and white issue. You will know after seeing this that that is wrong. All the characters here are in shades of gray. That is the films power. This should be a classic. Why it is not available on DVD in region 1 is a mystery to me. The lead actors are all extremely good here, and of course a stand out performance by Charles Laughton. I have seen quite a few of Laughton's films and I am always amazed by his range of roles. He goes from heavy to hero and everything in between. He was, in my opinion, one of the very few really great actors of his time. I have seen him in some bad films but I have never seen him give a bad performance! Speaking of heavies, did you notice that all the male leads have successfully played heavies? They all give very nuanced interpretations here that go way beyond black and white. Go see it.

One of greatest anti-war films with memorable acting from Charles Laughton , Maureen O'Hara and George Sanders . It's a moving reflexion about war , sacrifice and death . A mild-mannered schoolteacher (Charles Laughton) in a Nazi occupied town during WWII finds himself being torn between collaboration and resistance . He is quite friendly with his fellow teacher , Louise Martin (Maureen O'Hara) and her brother Paul (Kent Smith ) . Meanwhile , at school and street many prohibited books, considered "un-German," were broken or burned in the book-burning pile . Albert is charged with murder but the local Nazi commander, Major Erich Von Keller (Walter Slezak) , offers him a deal . At the end the teacher begins reading to his students "The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" (French: Déclaration Des Droits l'Homme Et Du Citoyen), a fundamental document of the French Revolution. This is an excellent classic anti-war movie and deals about sacrifice , collaboration , comradeship , human relations and in which a shy man is drawn into the actions of the resistance . A heart-breaker and elegiac movie in the way it shows war undercutting and qualities of a timid but good teacher . This is a well-paced , deliberate and magnetic drama set in WWII . It is a riveting film dealing with thought-provoking issues , wonderful acting and anti-Nazi denounce . Anyway, the film is very interesting , thematically intriguing and brooding . Time has not diminished its qualities nor its charming to the emotions . Interesting performances enhance an eloquent screenplay by Dudley Nichols . Impressive defense final speech , though propaganda , which is arousing the citizens in court . The film opened simultaneously at 72 theaters in 50 key cities on 7 May 1943, setting a box office record for gross receipts on an opening day. Excellent acting by the great Charles Laughton , giving a remarkable , self-effecting performance as a coward , mild-mannered teacher who is drawn into the actions of the resistance . Very good support cast includes extraordinary actors as George Sanders as George Lambert , Walter Slezak as Major Erich Von Keller , Kent Smith as Paul Martin and special mention to Una O'Connor as mother at a sympathetic though exaggerated interpretation . The film is excellently screen-written and directed by Jean Renoir who approach the intensity and feel of his best works. Son of painter impressionist Auguste Renoir , was perhaps the best of French directors . At its initial French period he directed classics as ¨Boudu saved drowning, Rules of the game, Marseillaise, Day in the country¨ and of course ¨Grand Illusion¨ in which his optimism remains relentless . Renoir was in Hollywood for seven years, where he made ¨Swamp water, Southerner, Diary of chambermaid, This land is mine,and Woman on the beach¨. He returned France where directed other classic films as ¨Carrozza dóro, Testament Dr Cordelier, Picnic on the grass, Vanishing corporal¨ and several others. His films have influenced on Francois Truffaut, Luchino Visconti, Satyajit Ray , among them. Rating : above average, an extraordinary and sensational film.

Although I consider myself a film buff, I confess I had never of this film until I saw being broadcast last night at 1.30 in the morning. I was expecting some pedestrian war time propaganda but the presence of Charles Laughton convinced me to watch it. I am astonished that such a powerful film is so little known and broadcasting only rarely. One could argue (as had been done in the comments here) that Laughton's transformation from mouse to man is rather too swift. I myself found it totally convincing but it is in the nature of Hollywood to exaggerate these things to make a good movie. The comparison to "inherit the wind" and "To Kill a mockingbird" is well made here, but the question remains, why is this film so little known? The answer, I think, is that those films make the middle classes feel good about themselves. Everyone fancies themselves to be an Atticus Finch who can recognise the ignorance of 'common people'. But TLIM points the accusing finger at the Atticus Finch's of the world, the men of learning and intelligence who are quite prepared to justify working with evil and persuading themselves that it is not so bad. As such it is as relevant (sadly) as it ever was.

With such a fine cast under direction by Jean Renoir, one would expect this patriotic piece of flag-waving propaganda to be much deeper than it is. Instead, we have a conventional story of a French schoolteacher during the Nazi occupation--as timid as Uriah Heep--who suddenly finds the courage to transform his character to become a noble speechmaker filling the courtroom and schoolroom with his lengthy lectures full of idealism and democracy and contempt for those who have taken over his land. It's all as subtle as a sledgehammer--and there is no excuse for letting the last half-hour become a series of preachy statements that show just how dated the technique of telling this kind of story was in the '40s, when the world was facing all the evils of World War II. The attempt is a noble one, but it's a failure. Not even CHARLES LAUGHTON can overcome the trite script which has him reciting heavy speeches to a classroom of young boys just before the Nazi soldiers take him away. MAUREEN O'HARA is given some generous close-ups that reveal her beauty, but her face is like an impassive mask with only the hint of tears to show emotion. Her character is so ill defined that it is not entirely her fault that she can do little but look concerned from the sidelines. Impressive as the supporting cast is, they all have conventional character roles that they play with their usual skill--Kent Smith, Walter Slezak, George Sanders and Una O'Connor. O'Connor has some over- the-top scenes of maternal stress and she goes just a little too far in expressing the love she has for her son (Laughton). In fact, she overplays virtually all of her scenes with Laughton. Sanders is impressive in a part that calls for vulnerability rather than his usual sarcasm. The trouble lies chiefly in the script by Dudley Nichols which relies too heavily on speech after speech instead of a dramatic series of events. Propaganda here is laid on with much too heavy a hand.

Laughton is magnificent as the apolitical teacher who finds he must take a stand in Nazi-occupied France. The supporting cast is also terrific and the direction is outstanding. This is a movie that works on many levels. Laughton finds that not resisting in Nazi-occupied France is a worse faith than death.