The thing that stands out most to me about Mrs. Miniver is the sheer propagandist quality of the film. The last bit before Carol Beldon is killed in the car is appalling, though it probably seemed quite patriotic at the time. "Onward, Christian Soldiers," begins and I get an ache in my belly. Can tackiness cause soreness?
The propagandhi song that features it casts the song in a rightfully deplorable light. Don't get me wrong, the allies in WW2 fought in the last "good" war. That doesn't mean a film should be applauded for dragging them into it, especially not 70 years after the fact. Or should it?
Perhaps this film singlehandedly saved the lives of countless would-be victims, and should be heralded as one of the slickest, most effective Capra-esque pieces in the canon? Perhaps it is the opposite as well.
The acting in the film is superb, from the main actors, down to the little girl who tugs at our heartstrings, warms our cockles, add cliche, ad infinitem, ad nauseum.
The plot is stale now and couldn't have been much fresher then. I kept wondering what people saw in this? Killing Carol Beldon surprised me though, for sure.
For old war films, I still recommend Alan Crosland's 1918 film, The Unbeliever. See this to know your history, know your history to critique it.
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