Hope and Glory: La guerre à sept ans

Set in London during World War II, Hope and Glory is anything but your typical war film. It's an autobiographical sketch of a schoolboy who witnesses, firsthand, the aerial devastation of London. Through his innocent eyes, we see the destruction in a completely unique way. To him, the war is more than simply catastrophic: it's also creative. This movie is somewhat unique in the sense that it's a war film lacking tragic or heroic qualities. We see ordinary people not only getting by, but also getting a buzz off of the excitement.

What's most interesting about the boy's perspective is this: while he watches any number of British social norms become transformed or nullified because of the exigencies of war (the film has some hilarious scenes to that effect), the British remain remarkably British. There is no debilitating self-doubt about who or what they are. It's about a crisis in the historical sense, similar to Bruni's experience of the early Italian Renaissance, which served to reinforce and infuse with energy the cultural assumptions commonly taken for granted. As an American, one senses what it means to be English, to have those qualities refined and purified like iron in a blast furnace, which is not an easy feeling to convey.

The boy's mother (Sarah Miles), for example, with her husband away in the service, is thrust into the role of head of household. And yet, she's demonstrably uncomfortable assuming these duties. The boy's grandfather, who is warm, acerbic, formal, dignified, and comically lascivious, appears as a bundle of contradictions; but, he's a microcosm of British social contradictions, which makes him fascinating.

One hopes that the events of September the 11th can inspire in us a similar sense of what it means to be American, and maybe help us to find some hope and glory in ourselves.

John Boorman seems to be telling us this story about his own experience about the first days of the Blitz, something that might well be the case because he must have been Bill's age when WWII broke. Mr. Boorman, working with his own material creates an accurate account of what Londoners lived through that time, in vivid detail.

We are introduced to the Rohan family, at the beginning of the story. They seem to be a typical English family of the time. When the conflict starts, Clive enlists and goes away, leaving Grace, his wife and the children, Dawn, Bill and Sue to fend for themselves. The Rohan's neighborhood suffers a lot of damage during the days of the Blitz, as homes are destroyed, even the Rohan's is badly damaged. With dignity and valor the Rohans survive the worst, although the experience seems to have been forever etched in their minds, especially young Bill, who is at the center of all that goes on.

Mr. Boorman gets excellent performances all around. Notable is young Sebastian Rice-Edwards as Bill. This young actor seems to be a natural, as well as the other young children in the picture. Sarah Miles and David Hayman, as the parents, are also quite good. Sammi Davis, the teen aged Dawn discovers love and makes us care about her character. Ian Bannen, Derrick O'Connor and Susan Woolridge are seen in minor roles.

Mr. Boorman creates a nostalgic look about the horrible experience families went through during those days.

John Boorman is impossible to categorize. From his spaced out ZARDOZ to DELIVERANCE to EXCALIBUR, this wildly ambitious director hasn't met a subject he's afraid to tackle. Here, the film maker delves into his past, delivering the story of a boy growing up in WWII England. Directed in a style that is nostalgic and innocent, HOPE AND GLORY displays a brighter side of human conflict. Watching the picture, it is obvious Boorman approached this highly personal material with the utmost of care. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a heavy drama, this is not the place. Many scenes (if you're not in the mood for them) can become a bit difficult. In other words, you're feeling as if you're watching someone's home movie. However, this should not detract from the talent of a true cinematic master, John Boorman. We love you, John Boy. Give us more!

Film-maker John Boorman's (Oscar nominated for writing and directing) semi-autobiographical account of growing up in London during the early-1940s is a wonderful sight to behold as a 9-year-old boy (Sebastian Rice-Edwards) looks at German blitz air-raids as fantastical and interesting occurrences rather than tragic happenings. But the youngster does know enough to realize that the country is in turmoil as his father (David Hayman) is out fighting in World War II, his mother (Sarah Miles) is noticeably distraught and his older sister (Sammi Davis) is having a love affair with a Canadian soldier (Jean-Marc Barr). As all this happens though Rice-Edwards and little sister Geraldine Muir just behave as if nothing was wrong. Their innocence and lack of total understanding allows them to enjoy their youth even though the world around them is in total chaos. Sometimes a lack of understanding can lead to happiness and wonder anyway. Also along for the ride is Hayman's brother (Derrick O'Connor), a man who has always secretly loved Miles (and vice versa), and Miles' eccentric father (scene-stealer Ian Bannen). Boorman grew up in London during the heated years of World War II and it is apparent that he remembers his childhood years not as a time of horror and despair, but as a time of love and lifetime discovery. This is definitely his finest picture (I never did get much out of "Deliverance" and he plummeted to new lows with "The Exorcist II: The Heretic") as he uses quietly effective characters and old-time movie-making principles to create a truly endearing motion picture masterpiece. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Maybe it's just because of my love for history, but I really enjoyed this movie. I can understand why some may not, since it has a sort of anti-ending and very little actual 'plot.' The film is simply the portrayal of daily life for a London family--a collection of character subplots, basically.

It doesn't sound like much, but the film's strength is its characters. Besides the main little boy, there's the overzealous father, the sexually-liberated teenage sister, a hilarious grandpa, a gang of far-from-innocent little boys, and others.

Overall, watching this movie is like stepping back in time and sneaking a peek into everyday life.