I join others praising this movie. Is it sentimental? Well, yes. Is it simple? Yes. In fact, does the main character seem a little simple? Yes - the acting by Oscar nominated Richard Todd is a bit broad to my taste. (I quite admire Todd - who, in The Longest Day, played virtually the part he played in the real D Day landing; generally Todd is rather stoic and understated in his acting - e.g., D Day: The Sixth of June - not so here).
Still, there is something about this movie that really grabs you - like say, The Fantasticks - simple, yet quite true, very humane and in its own way, powerful.
Reagan is his usual fine self - I think always underrated as an actor - e.g., see his smallish part in Bette Davis' Dark Victory (he's a lazy society swell). Patricia Neal is the sort of woman you DO fall for.
The fact that they do not sugarcoat the ending - we know the future will be grim, is to the movie's benefit. These were dark days - all these men had been through the Depression, had been in a vicious War in Burma for years, had seen, and caused others, death many many times. They're far more matter of fact about death than any contemporary movie would make its characters -"oh, too bad, a bad break" is the comment. The acceptance of this grim reality made me think about the resilience of people and the stoicism of that generation.
Do see it- it's a wonderful simple tearjerker that you won't forget.
Still, there is something about this movie that really grabs you - like say, The Fantasticks - simple, yet quite true, very humane and in its own way, powerful.
Reagan is his usual fine self - I think always underrated as an actor - e.g., see his smallish part in Bette Davis' Dark Victory (he's a lazy society swell). Patricia Neal is the sort of woman you DO fall for.
The fact that they do not sugarcoat the ending - we know the future will be grim, is to the movie's benefit. These were dark days - all these men had been through the Depression, had been in a vicious War in Burma for years, had seen, and caused others, death many many times. They're far more matter of fact about death than any contemporary movie would make its characters -"oh, too bad, a bad break" is the comment. The acceptance of this grim reality made me think about the resilience of people and the stoicism of that generation.
Do see it- it's a wonderful simple tearjerker that you won't forget.