The Way Ahead

As is often the case with these wartime war movies, this one was just here to lift the spirits of the masses and maybe drum up some volunteers in the process. It's too far removed from the reality of the war to make any real impression at all.

A lot of army leisure time. A little too much of it for this to make a permanent mark. Did have it's fine moments before the action finally came. Simply boys being boys, and Peter Ustinov being a weird café owner. David Niven was almost too soft in his officer role, but I guess that was the dynamic between him and his fellow soldiers, with them not taking him very seriously before their relationship grew. There were a few nice nuances in how that played out. Has it's awarding bits.

85.00

85.500

Highly enjoyable war time propaganda.

The film that inspired Dad's Army's closing credits! It's propaganda sure, but it's a good movie as well. It has a sort of documentary feel, showing what it took to go from civilian to a soldier in the British army in World War 2 - Niven is great as the officer who has to win the trust of his men and keep an eye out for a cameo from Peter Ustinov as a drunken cafe owner.

Quite impressive war propaganda.