December 26, 2022

John Clements and Stephen Murray are quite efficient in this wartime story of the Yugoslav resistance. Made in 1943, at the height of the conflict when their country was firmly under the Nazi jackboot, it falls to brothers "Milos" and "Dr. Stephan" - who do not agree on how best to resist - to try to thwart the ambitions of Godfrey Tearle's rather odious "Gen. Von Staengel" and his nasty henchman "Col. Brock" (Robert Harris). The production is ba… read the rest.

John Clements and Stephen Murray are quite efficient in this wartime story of the Yugoslav resistance. Made in 1943, at the height of the conflict when their country was firmly under the Nazi jackboot, it falls to brothers "Milos" and "Dr. Stephan" - who do not agree on how best to resist - to try to thwart the ambitions of Godfrey Tearle's rather odious "Gen. Von Staengel" and his nasty henchman "Col. Brock" (Robert Harris). The production is basic but as this is essentially a piece of WWII propaganda that doesn't really matter - the message of the selfless and determined freedom fighters struggling to survive is front and centre of this George Slocombe story. It features a solid cast in support with some familiar faces - Niall MacGinnes and Michael Wilding amongst them, and Sergei Nolbandov manages to create quite a potent sense of menace as the sacrificial denouement looms. Rarely seen nowadays, and not a great film - but still, it's an effectively told story of bravery and courage that is worth a look.

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