Let's get the ending of the film over with first. Janet is catatonic because she thinks that John has died. But we really do not know that he has. Now, this, as an ending works fine, as it leaves the viewer wondering as well. I like endings that you just do not know what's what. But it's her reaction when the doctor reads the letter from John, and we do not know when he wrote it, other than he was not at the front and fighting, but sitting in some bar drinking that just ruins this movie. She hears his words, and the doctor's voice becomes John's voice, and she comes out of her trance, so we know that she will be okay" Whether John is alive or not. So we are to assume that she will go straight to the farm and either he is there, or not, but whatever, she will wait for him. My main problem with this movie was the age of the actresses portrayed to play the nurses. Colbert was 40 and Goddard 38, but at least Goddard could pull off being a nurse in her 20s. Colbert, though, looked every one of her years. And what really got me was that Reeves was 11 years younger than Colbert, and looked at least 5 years younger than he was when this film was made. She looked like she could have been his mother in some of those scenes. And then we have all the makeup she wore as well. I know they were trying to make her look younger, but it did not work. And in the middle of a war, there they all are, especially Colbert and Goddard, all dolled up. I had read that the studio was trying to make this movie as believable as possible, and there are some actresses, even now, who refuse to go bare-faced, but come on. Colbert was beautiful and probably could have pulled it off sans all that makeup. Most of the others seemed to do without too much. Overall, a decent representation from a nurse's point of view, but otherwise, not worth the time.
Review of So Proudly We Hail!
