Carve Her Name with Pride

Virginia McKenna has long been an idol of mine, and this film is one of the primary reasons. I think she is one of the overlooked great actresses of the '50's and 60's. At any rate, this is an extraordinary film in so many ways. I love good biographical pictures in general, but this is one of the most poignant and accurate ever done. The remarkable story of Violette Szabo should be seen by all. Paul Scofield is brilliant as well. This merits a perfect score. Don't miss it!

Pardon me for beginning this way, but is this movie a copied storyline of the earlier film "Odette" (1951)? Both stories seem to run so parallel one can only wonder about it. On second thoughts perhaps not. We ought to realize how many dedicated people with strong convictions made the great sacrifice during the war. Violette Szabo (Virginia McKenna), as an appealing spy, felt duty bound to assist her country and was one of them who left all personal thought behind to do her duty. It's very dramatic and riveting as she faces the many dangers.

Really, Virginia McKenna gave a strong performance, very deserving of an Oscar, I'd say. War isn't glorious by any means. A serious film.

Carve Her Name with Pride (1958)

A resolutely respectful and consistent movie, powerful in a quiet way, and serious to the core. These aren't really adjectives for an amazing movie--and it's not amazing. The story is amazing, since it's true, a British woman going undercover in WWII and having to suffer badly at the hands of the Nazis. And the movie depends on the story, rather than the movie, to succeed.

It does, in fact, succeed. It's a moving story well told. It lacks drama, and is sometimes quietly sentimental, which is part of the point, giving a human side to the spy and war business. The leading woman is someone not well known to American audiences, a rather straight forward actress, Virginia McKenna. But you might remember her from "Born Free," a very different kind of role but needing the same sharp seriousness. She's still alive, gladly, and was even in a film in 2010.

The movie here needs drama, frankly. It takes half the film to reach the German conflict in France, and it comes to the real drama, the horrors of being caught, in the last half hour. Which is to say, be prepared for lots of preparation, well done, but preliminary, and purposely undramatic. By that last part is good wartime stuff, with a woman as the main figure in the fighting and the aftermath. The prison scenes are cold and harsh in their own way, and yet I don't quite believe it would have been quite so calmly paced and deliberate, even in the hands of the Germans happily in France.

It must be a sign of getting older but I find myself watching old films more and more now. Sky showed this film recently, and I much preferred it to some of the modern blockbusters they show. Virgina McKenna does an excellent job of portraying Violetta Szabo. Good old Jack Warner (Sergeant Dixon!) is excellent as the long suffering father. Paul Scofield is brilliant playing the part of Tony. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert, who also directed "Alfie" and "Educating Rita". It brings home the suffering normal people went through, as well as heroines like Violetta. I defy anyone not to be moved by the ending. Hopefully it is available on DVD now as it belongs in anyone`s collection.

This wonderful film is based quite closely on the real life exploits of a young girl born in London to an English father and a French mother.

Called upon at a time of national peril, she "did her duty".

The code-poem used in the film was the real code poem used by Violette Szabo while she was sending messages back from occupied France. The poem was written by 'Leo Marks' (qv) who was a cryptographer for SOE and often used poems like this for agents to use.

The life that I have is all that I have, The life that I have is yours.

The love that I have of the life that I have Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have, A rest I shall have Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years In the long green grass Will be yours and yours and yours