Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

mark.waltz This is all about the hidden Belgium Air Force flag that patriots long to get out of the country before the invading Nazis find it. The film covers preparation for the invasion (and ultimate take-over), the burial of the flag in a field, its re-discovery and how the freedom fighters manage to get it out of the country. The highlight of the film is the scene where the patriots utilize a dog to smuggle it across a river while one of them deals with a German guard while crossing a aqueduct. There are plenty of conversations concerning why saving the flag is so important, how and why the Belgians are willing to risk their lives to keep it out of the Nazi hands (it is simply a symbol of their independence) which becomes simple war-time entertainment. Filled with predictable reminders that there are many things we were fighting for, it all comes down to one word: freedom.

Robert J. Maxwell It's early in the war and some of the Belgian Air Force pilots manage to escape in their Hurricanes to England, where they join the RAF, which needs all the pilots it can get.However, they've left their regimental flag behind, buried somewhere on the grounds of a Flemish farm. Clifford Evans is dispatched to retrieve it after the Battle of Britain. Of course, Belgium by this time is occupied by the Germans, all of whom are brutal, humorless, and efficient.Not much action but a good deal of suspense as Evans works his way through the Belgian underground and overground to find the flag and get it back to its proper place in England. People die, willingly, in his aid.There are one or two poignant moments. One is when Evans first learns from his Commanding Officer in Britain that his best friend and colleague, Matagne, has been shot down and killed. Evans' response is wordless. He accepts a cigarette from his CO, stares at it, and it drops from his fingers.Another touching scene has Evans meeting his mother in the park of a Flemish village after his return. The park is under surveillance by the Nazis, and the two can only sit on a bench pretending to ignore one another while speaking under their breaths. The old lady briefly touches his hand before leaving.The acting is competent. There are no bravura scenes. And the direction is better than might be expected in a film made under war-time conditions in Britain. Clive Brook is giving himself up to be shot in order to save some hostages and as he walks to his doom at Gestapo headquarters he's followed by a noisy woman who chatters on about villagers who, she believes, may be Jewish communists. He tries to put her off, having intimations of mortality on his mind, but she persists in noisily following him. The dramatic music swells until we can no longer hear her complaints. It's a simple device, but it required some thoughtfulness on somebody's part.It can be asked whether a flag is worth so much risk, so many deaths. It's a piece of cloth after all and the only value it has is the value we attribute to it. Historically, flags had practical functions. Amid the confusion and smoke of battle, flags provided rallying points for military units. But whatever a flag's current value in real life, in 1943, in the movies, it was a symbol for something else.Rather neatly done.

craigiemark This film was written and directed ? by my great aunt Jill Craigie,who sadly i never met.I would like to purchase this film,if possible on DVD,and would appreciate any information,as to where i can purchase this film.Kind regards,Mark Craigie.I see that an Ian has posted his view on the film from Australia,and wondered if he is my Uncle,who had a brother Malcolm(my father)and a sister Lynn,my Auntie.My great Aunt Jill was married to the labour politician Sir Michael Foot and lived in London up until her death.It would be nice to hear from any relative,however distant,to catch up on life and times of your lives.However,i understand some people may be reluctant,to disclose details of their private lives,but any input would be much appreciated.Again Kind Regards,Mark Craigie.

Neil-117 Made during the second world war when people were really suffering the pain (not just remembering it), this low budget simple tale of high ideals and patriotism is more powerful than many a later battlefield re-enactment. A tense commando operation is blended with touching personal scenes such as a mother and son meeting in occupied territory but too afraid to recognize each other. All combine to bring home the horrors and heroism of the wartime experience in a way that truly tugs the heart strings. Listen for the musical score by famous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.