What was a spoof of the paranoia of the Commie scare following World War II now seems somewhat hypocritical considering that for the most part, the Russians were our allies during the war. Films like "Song of Russia" and "Tender Comrade" were considered communist propaganda after the war ended, but during their initial releases, film audiences weren't any the wiser to the alleged hidden meanings and attempted manipulations of the politically vulnerable to switch their allegiances to the communist party.
Somehow missing on the list of alleged Communist propaganda films made during the war is this British drama which focuses on a Russian engineer (Laurence Olivier) who comes to a small town in England to get a ship built with the help of the local factory. Of course, there's the initial insecurities over what side the Russians appear on in the growing conflict, the differences in culture, and Olivier's feeling that he's automatically an outsider. He befriends a beautiful British girl (Penelope Dudley-Ward) who pretty much takes him under her wing and shows him that the British aren't as priggish or humorless as he was taught to believe. In fact, the whole town comes to take him into their hearts, their eccentricities proving to him that they are indeed people filled with heart, humor and passion.
There are speeches about how the British for the most part try to avoid conflict, how their on the surface stiff upper lip is really a facade they use as an inside joke against the world, and how as a community they do come together to fight for the basic rights of mankind. Olivier makes a speech towards the end of the film about how it takes a nation of humor (especially the ability to laugh at one's self) and compassion towards humanity will give the allies the side of right in the fight against an enemy who takes itself way too seriously. He isn't being facetious, pretentious and patronizing when he says this about members of a community who has adopted his Russian home town as their "sister city" but sincere and genuinely grateful for the way in which their friendship became stronger.
The wonderful Margaret Rutherford is delightful as the director of a local pageant, and it is clear why the world took her to their hearts as the British Marie Dressler. Mentions of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother, not the current queen) reminds the audience that this is a part of our recent history, even though it seems like so much time has gone by. It also serves an important reminder that people are representatives of themselves as individuals, not just the product of a country or nationality and that judgments are based upon people's character, not a different way of growing up or lifestyle.
Somehow missing on the list of alleged Communist propaganda films made during the war is this British drama which focuses on a Russian engineer (Laurence Olivier) who comes to a small town in England to get a ship built with the help of the local factory. Of course, there's the initial insecurities over what side the Russians appear on in the growing conflict, the differences in culture, and Olivier's feeling that he's automatically an outsider. He befriends a beautiful British girl (Penelope Dudley-Ward) who pretty much takes him under her wing and shows him that the British aren't as priggish or humorless as he was taught to believe. In fact, the whole town comes to take him into their hearts, their eccentricities proving to him that they are indeed people filled with heart, humor and passion.
There are speeches about how the British for the most part try to avoid conflict, how their on the surface stiff upper lip is really a facade they use as an inside joke against the world, and how as a community they do come together to fight for the basic rights of mankind. Olivier makes a speech towards the end of the film about how it takes a nation of humor (especially the ability to laugh at one's self) and compassion towards humanity will give the allies the side of right in the fight against an enemy who takes itself way too seriously. He isn't being facetious, pretentious and patronizing when he says this about members of a community who has adopted his Russian home town as their "sister city" but sincere and genuinely grateful for the way in which their friendship became stronger.
The wonderful Margaret Rutherford is delightful as the director of a local pageant, and it is clear why the world took her to their hearts as the British Marie Dressler. Mentions of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother, not the current queen) reminds the audience that this is a part of our recent history, even though it seems like so much time has gone by. It also serves an important reminder that people are representatives of themselves as individuals, not just the product of a country or nationality and that judgments are based upon people's character, not a different way of growing up or lifestyle.