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Mrs.Mike
Reviews
Le chagrin et la pitié (1969)
Stunning, enlightening and unforgettable!
If you are a movie buff, you have probably gotten the impression from the bulk of movies about WWII that the French populace as a whole fought bravely to resist the Nazi Occupation. "The Sorrow and the Pity" makes it clear that such was not the case. This stunning documentary includes interviews from people from all shades of the spectrum politically, philosophically and socially. The interviewers did a great job of coaxing the truth from these people by being friendly rather than confrontational. Some of the most amazing footage is from German newsreels, with the ghastly "pure race" prejudices being illustrated with a very sarcastic commentary on some of the French prisoners of war. I think that every high school student in The United States should see this film so that they understand that you can't always just " go along to get long". Of course, with the average high school student's attention span, it would have to be shown in shorter installments. This film is completely worthwhile and never boring!
Random Harvest (1942)
As perfect a romantic film as was ever made
This is the perfect romantic movie. One of the most notable things about it is that everyone in the movie is nice. There are no traditional villains, just war and chance and bad timing. There is nobility and sacrifice and a wonderful payoff of an ending (though not quite as powerful as in the original James Hilton novel). Greer Garson and Ronald Colman personify British goodness and decency and are perfect in their roles, though Colman is a little old for the early scenes. All in all, this film is an excellent use of your hard-earned Kleenex.