London Can Take It!

With the blitz already five weeks old, this short feature illustrates the determined stoicism of Londoners as they exchange their daytime garb for their nighttime one and prepare to man the city's defences in preparation for the next visit by the Luftwaffe. What always impressed me with these documentaries is that despite all hell breaking loose, the electricity and the water supplies still seem to endure the attacks. The people are sheltering in underground shelters and their lights are on, offering them a comfort blanket that ordinarily one might just take for granted. Next morning, and the city rises with the sun, cleans up the mess and with the King and Queen offering a fillip to the people clearing up the mess this film offers us a patriotic but not propagandist story of a city under siege.

Timeless,.impersonal semi-propaganda documentary short marked by advanced editing.

The dispassionately toned narrative by the 'independent' correspondent underlying a poetic cascade of remarks imposed on stirring real footage and sound, makes for an engrossing dive into people like us drawn together by unimaginable circumstance. London Can Take it enjoyed wide distribution in the states and was said to have influenced the United States decision in entering World War II.

My rating, 5 out of 5.

It's a propaganda piece from wartime British government. It's probably mostly intended for the American audience. Its main goal is to rally support and show the resilience of the people in the face of overwhelming force. It's narrated by war correspondent Quentin Reynolds who gives the tone of an old fashion cigar chomping reporter. The main question is whether this actually worked. It probably was very effective in creating sympathy for the British side in America. That is all that matters at this time.

For most British citizens, the piercing cry of the air raid siren is the sound that best summarizes World War 2. During what is known as The Blitz, Nazi Germany's bomber aircraft killed over 40 thousand people and decimated millions of homes (most in London) between September 1940 and May 1941. This short, produced before America entered the war, is one of the most haunting ww2 films as it shows how even when faced with total destruction of their country, the british decide that it's better to die standing up to Hitler than to live in servitude to him. It begins by showing a group of people entering a shelter for the night. During this time, they would crowd into any place that would appear sturdy enough to withstand bombs, including subways. Footage is then shown which depicts crewmen getting ready to take their positions at batteries of anti-aircraft guns. Although they have absolutely no chance of shooting down all the German planes, they do what they can, night after night, to defend their country. As the bombers approach, they drop loads of explosives on any targets they can find, not caring about the deaths of those uninvolved in the war. At 6 in the morning, another signal is sounded, this time to let everyone know the planes are gone. Even after a night like that, sunlight eventually comes. As expected, a few dozen more people are killed and some buildings destroyed, but London will never submit. In fact, attacking them only intensifies their defiance, as the survival of the UK depends on not giving up. The nazis thought their bombing campaign would bring britain to its knees, but they got one part wrong; bombs can only destroy buildings and kill people. They can never touch the spirit of the city of London. The RAF then retaliates by bombing Berlin. This is a great short. It's not overly long, but it manages to move you over 80 years later. There is a subtle detail in the film that the narrator draws no attention to, but it's there if you pay attention: King George VI and the Queen are out in public helping citizens among the ruins of buildings in the aftermath of the air raid. It shows how royalty or not, leader and commoner were in this whole thing together. While undoubtedly propaganda, it's debatable whether the film succeeds in this aspect, as it was intended to shock America and persuade them to enter the war. It wouldn't be until Japan made their move at Hawaii that the US finally got involved. Even though it may have failed in its mission to get FDR's attention, London Can Take It remains a powerful reminder of what people had to go through basically every day in certain parts of the world all under a century ago.

A tribute to the courage and resiliency of Britons during the darkest days of the London Blitz.

What is amusing about this is the number of different ways it can looked at. On the face of it, it is showing the proud people of England and how they are able to stay strong during the onslaught of the war.

But it can also appear as an example of learned helplessness. This is probably not accurate, but at times it seems to give the impression of a people that have just accepted their fate.

How did the English compare to the French, or even the Germans? This short is said to have a "neutral" narrator, and perhaps it does. Would a neutral narrator in France or Germany present their people the same way? Who does not want to present their people as proud and resilient?