Some Film Glimpses of World War II

World War II has been the subject of many films over the years. It would take months to write extensively on the subject, so I thought I would just jot down some thoughts on some films that you may have missed.

Hollywood got into the fray even before the United States did, starting with “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” in 1939.





The film tells of a disgruntled ne’er-do-well who offers to spy for Germany in order to make an easy buck. Eventually FBI Agent Edward G. Robinson gets on the case. Robinson is effective in the role, somewhat downplaying the part. While the Germans are shown to be wicked, they are not shown as over-the-top evil.
Of course, I believe the Nazi leaders were evil. And I believe that the German people were gullible in falling for the Nazi message. However, I do feel it is neither realistic nor meaningful for a film to show that an entire nation willingly went for a person who all along and publically said, “Hello, I am the Devil incarnate. I will enslave you and kill millions of innocent people.” Sure, you could see that was their intent if you looked closely, but the message was carefully disguised. We must learn that that evil can be insidious.

Skipping ahead to 2004, the German film “Downfall” shows this lesson very well.


You know the film: a scene where Hitler is in conference with his generals has become a mainstay for parody on the blogosphere. The film shows that Hitler can be a very disarming individual, but by no means is the film a fluff piece. It shows how such a maniacal person can come to great power by using his charm. In the end of the film, the main character – Hitler’s secretary – is horrified to discover how evil the man was. That is the message of the film. Don’t fall for the man because of his charm. You must find out what he truly stands for.

Some films made during the war reflected the Home Front. MGM was very good at this type of film. One of my favorites is the Mickey Rooney film, The Human Comedy.”



Is this film an accurate portrayal of life in the United States during the war? Probably not, but sometimes dramatic license can be allowed if it is used to drive home a strong message of human caring and decency. Watch this film, but buy an extra box of Kleenex before you do.

Another MGM film, this one from later in the war is Judy Garland’s, “The Clock.”



This is a war-time romance that will melt even the coldest of hearts. You just know that they were long divorced by 1965, but what the hey. Again, it may not be very accurate, but you can’t help but feel that it is a telescope through which to see a now-distant time.

You know how films today portray Republicans as selfish people who will use their influence and power to protect their own while not caring about others? Well, MGM had one of those in a 1942 pile of manure called “The War Against Mrs. Hadley.”



While the film did have that MGM charm about it, I kept watching it just to see if it was going to be as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was.

World War II is probably my favorite subject in film. Drama can not be any more powerful that a story of ordinary people facing up to terrible circumstances. Message of hope and messages of warning are message to be heard.