Guerre et passion

The story. The acting. The romanticism in the war time. And the sacrifice. Pillars of a classic about choices, friendship, honor, love and importance of meetings. Theoretical, a war film. In essence, only romance using the war as clothes. Its seduction force - to remind old things who define an universe of world out ordinary rules. Its virtue - to mix in coherent manner different stories who becomes one with many sides. A beautiful film for the admirable performances. And for the art of detail. For a form of heroism who remains noble and impressive and touching, remembering the Medieval stories. And for the atmosphere who defines in brilliant manner the drama of the lead characters. It could be discovered as classic romance or as war story. In essence, it is an admirable story about values.

I don't understand all of the negative comments about this movie. It's not like they set out to make another Gone With The Wind, people. I usually hate this kind of movie, but I loved this one! Ford was just beginning to come into his own as an actor, and did a wonderfully believable job. The plot, though a bit predictable, at least went about it in a reasonable way. Entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. I guess I'm just one of those people who doesn't understand what movie making "art" is all about. I've seen a lot of critically acclaimed films that I wouldn't use to balance a short table leg.

While the story is set in the context of world war 2, what it's really about is the difference between men who are now called 'alpha' and 'beta.' One is a brash, self-confident, risk-taking narcissist; the other is a high-achieving, highly educated, planner. Women often wish to marry the latter, and make love with the former. Ms. Down faces this issue.

Overall, an excellent discussion, and depiction, of this particular kind of dilemma.

The movie begins in London, with the American pilot (alpha) and the British nurse conning each other, trying to fake each other out for a place on a bus. This game is interrupted by v-2 rocket bombing, and a real, and intense, emotional bonding. Much later, the nurse's husband (beta) is introduced, and we discover he is a high-ranking official with the British military. The story develops from there, with a somewhat improbable pairing, and a spy mission. It is suspenseful, but is really a romantic drama.

When I read the synopsis for the plot of 'Pearl' I thought of 'Hanover Street' right away. I saw this movie when I was 10 years old and was impressed by it's pacing, the plot twist, and the fact that in the end it is just as it is billed, a romantic war movie. For a guy like me who cant stand romantic war movies I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed this obscure film not once but the many times I have watched it. If during the course of a film you feel that same longing a character experiences then it has made it's mark. When David Halloran, Harrison's character, transitions from cocky bomber pilot to reluctant pilot who begins to hear the concerns of his bombardier as well as his heart, from the unhealthy romance of two people in need of something concrete in a time of uncertainty, from the struggle to get back to the one you love this movie runs the gammit of what war is like for lovers, soldiers, and ordinary civilians caught up in it. Think of loving someone so much they make you ache then throw in the fact that they are someone elses lover and the knowledge that you will have to turn and walk away from them forever.

This film has many great elements, but the whole things fails primarily due to overwrought dialogue that is very soap operatic with words put in character's mouths that mostly teenage girls would think of. Without John Barry's romantic score, this film would be pathetic, leaning towards hilarious.

In any film, when two characters meet and fall in love there is a certain amount of time and shared experiences that pass in the story before the love between them is credible. In this film, the love is instant, deeply romantic -- yet torrid, and lasting. Completely impossible! Having said all that, the film still provides some great military movie sequences. There are some funny bits with Halloran and his co-pilot Cimino mouthing off during their missions and briefings. And a whole military caper pulled off by Halloran (Ford) and Mr. Sallinger (Plummer) which is both exciting and easy to follow.

After a while, one realizes that Margaret Sallinger, (Down) never speaks her lines, she whispers them in a plaintive, teary voice, always on the verge of boo-hoo. This becomes grating after a while. Further, it makes the audience wonder what Halloran sees in her.

Well, the answer to what the attraction is never comes, but the noble dialogue at the end is a struggle to listen to and is a riff on the immortal Casablanca "Hill of beans/Here's lookin' at you" farewell between Rick and Ilsa. It is well that this Hanover Street high-road sign-off sequence comes last as it is the most indulgent in melodrama. Still, Ford and Plummer work so effectively to make this movie almost passable that you really have to give them credit for their commitment to their characters.