General Candy (Roger Livesey), who's overseeing an English squad in 1943, is a veteran leader who doesn't have the respect of the men he's training and is considered out-of-touch with what's needed to win the war. But it wasn't always this way. Flashing back to his early career in the Boer War and World War I, we see a dashing young officer whose life has been shaped by three different women (Deborah Kerr) , and by a lasting friendship with a German soldier (Anton Walbrook) . A Lusty Lifetime of Love and Adventure in Lavish Technicolor !. A thrilling lifetime of courage and love... in triumphant Technicolor !. An unforgettable story of forty gallant years. A Rogue With A Roving Eye! A Devil... In A Daring Adventure! The Lusty Lifetime Of A Gentleman Who Was Sometimes Quite A Rogue!
Chronicles the jingoist life of a British soldier who survives three wars : Boer , WWI , WWII , falls in love with three women , all portrayed by Deborah Kerr and dances a fine waltz . Thrilling , patriotic , sensitive , enjoyable WWI-WW2 flick , though slighly unreal , that was top moneymaker in British cinema and all over the world . Being an exciting -though dated at times- warfare patriotic yarn made during WWII , riddled with attractive stars . At the time it was a controversial portrait of a stuffy British officer that was condemned by the British press as being disastrously bad propaganda because the leading role's longlife friendship with a Prussian officer . Believing the movie undermined British confidence during WWII , Prime Minister Winston Churchill became enraged after a viewing and personally banned it from from being exported . Because of this outrage , the movie, completed in 1943 , was not shown in the US until the war had ended and even then it was heavily edited to give the British a more favourable view.
Special mention for the colorful cinematography by great cameraman Georges Périnal , as well as evocative and adequate musical score by composer Allan Gray . The motion picture was very well written/produced/directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger . They wrote the original story and screenplay , financing their production company The Archers . Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's shooting skillfully skirts the obvious to create an out-of-the-rout war drama . Alexander Korda brought Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger together for the film ¨The Spy in Black¨ up to then Powell had been directing low budget films in Britain and Pressburger working as a scriptwriter in Europe . They stayed together for 20 years and 20 films first a series of inventive contributions to the war effort including ¨49th Parallel¨ and ¨A Canterbury Tale¨ then a variety of imaginitive attempts to produce post war films of international appeal and sophistication from a strong British base, which led to successes such as ¨A Matter of Life and Death¨ and ¨The Red Shoes¨ but foundered in the 1950's . Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were usual collaborators , getting together to make a lot of successful films . Directing the following ones : ¨The Tales of Hoffman¨, ¨The Elusive Pimpernel¨, ¨Pursuit of Graf Spee¨ , ¨The small black room¨, ¨Black Narcisus¨ , ¨Contraband¨ , ¨The Thief of Bagdad¨ , ¨Edge of the World¨ , ¨Night ambush¨, ¨The Lion has Wings¨ , ¨Spy in Black¨, ¨One of out aircraft is missing¨ , ¨Life and death of Colonel Blimp¨,¨ Canterbury Tale¨ , among others . Many of them are deemed to be masterpieces , and being produced under banner their production The Archers . Rating : 7.5/10 . This fascinating film is particularly appointed to WWII movie fonds , this shouldn't be missed . Essential and fundamental seeing . Better than average.
Chronicles the jingoist life of a British soldier who survives three wars : Boer , WWI , WWII , falls in love with three women , all portrayed by Deborah Kerr and dances a fine waltz . Thrilling , patriotic , sensitive , enjoyable WWI-WW2 flick , though slighly unreal , that was top moneymaker in British cinema and all over the world . Being an exciting -though dated at times- warfare patriotic yarn made during WWII , riddled with attractive stars . At the time it was a controversial portrait of a stuffy British officer that was condemned by the British press as being disastrously bad propaganda because the leading role's longlife friendship with a Prussian officer . Believing the movie undermined British confidence during WWII , Prime Minister Winston Churchill became enraged after a viewing and personally banned it from from being exported . Because of this outrage , the movie, completed in 1943 , was not shown in the US until the war had ended and even then it was heavily edited to give the British a more favourable view.
Special mention for the colorful cinematography by great cameraman Georges Périnal , as well as evocative and adequate musical score by composer Allan Gray . The motion picture was very well written/produced/directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger . They wrote the original story and screenplay , financing their production company The Archers . Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's shooting skillfully skirts the obvious to create an out-of-the-rout war drama . Alexander Korda brought Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger together for the film ¨The Spy in Black¨ up to then Powell had been directing low budget films in Britain and Pressburger working as a scriptwriter in Europe . They stayed together for 20 years and 20 films first a series of inventive contributions to the war effort including ¨49th Parallel¨ and ¨A Canterbury Tale¨ then a variety of imaginitive attempts to produce post war films of international appeal and sophistication from a strong British base, which led to successes such as ¨A Matter of Life and Death¨ and ¨The Red Shoes¨ but foundered in the 1950's . Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were usual collaborators , getting together to make a lot of successful films . Directing the following ones : ¨The Tales of Hoffman¨, ¨The Elusive Pimpernel¨, ¨Pursuit of Graf Spee¨ , ¨The small black room¨, ¨Black Narcisus¨ , ¨Contraband¨ , ¨The Thief of Bagdad¨ , ¨Edge of the World¨ , ¨Night ambush¨, ¨The Lion has Wings¨ , ¨Spy in Black¨, ¨One of out aircraft is missing¨ , ¨Life and death of Colonel Blimp¨,¨ Canterbury Tale¨ , among others . Many of them are deemed to be masterpieces , and being produced under banner their production The Archers . Rating : 7.5/10 . This fascinating film is particularly appointed to WWII movie fonds , this shouldn't be missed . Essential and fundamental seeing . Better than average.