For Freedom

The state run TV station (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)seems to program a lot of unusual British films from the 30's to the 50's and this one is no exception. Being made in 1940 and concerning the sinking of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee, one could come to the conclusion that it would be a typical heavy propaganda film but in fact I found it quite light almost like the Ealing comedies films.

The setting is in a newsreel production company and shows events leading up to the war, Chamberlains visit to Germany, etc. Even the events leading up to the sinking of the Graf Spee is dramatised such as the capturing and sinking of British liners.

Only in the final few minutes does a real military figure come on and start laying down a few heavy facts.