Part 2 - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) First Time Watching Reaction & Review

[@alexachipman]

Quick reminder: Please no spoilers in the comments. If they are included, the comment will be removed.

[@petesmith4498]

Roger Livesey gives another great performance in "A Matter of Life and Death", released as "Stairway to Heaven" in the U.S. It was made by Powell & Pressberger to address the cultural differences between the British and American allies during WW2.

[@johnbarleycorn_]

This is one of those films that I first came across lying in bed on a Saturday afternoon watching TV with a cold. The BBC used to run old films on BBC2 in that timeslot and I discovered a number of rather good old movies that way including things like Chaplin's "Limelight" (not war-related) and "The Great Dictator" (a dig at Hitler). The tune at the end is "The British Grenadiers", at least that's what it's known as locally; like many old tunes, it may have gained other names. It's commonly played by military bands and is also found in morris dance. As for other war movies, try "Ice Cold in Alex", "The Great Escape", "The Monuments Men", "Downfall", "Grave of the Fireflies", "Glory", "The Guns of Navarone" or "The Killing Fields". For many years, it was kind of the tradition that "The Great Escape" always wound up being shown on TV at Christmas, although I don't quite know how or why that came about.

[@chriscann7627]

Theo's speech at the refugee office is one of the greatest speeches in the history of cinema. you have to have a heart of stone not to be moved.

[@chriscann7627]

The film could well be described as "The Story of a Man" - it is essentially, the story of how someone becomes the man they are through their experience of life. Martin Scorsese ranks it the greatest British film of all time and actually bankrolled the reconstruction and restoration. You laugh, you cry - as someone once said of Tolstoy's War and Peace, "All life is here".

[@portland-182]

Col Blimp was a comedic single frame newspaper cartoon. He is an out of date soldier in the modern world, a comedic figure. The audience at the time would have expected a comedic buffoon character, Instead they got an excellent dramatic back story of how Col Candy became the figure of fun Col Blimp. This is a greatly underrated film.

[@alicedell8595]

I watched another film starring Roger Livesey "I Know Where I'm Going", 1945. Made before my grandparents were born, but I absolutely ADORED it! xx

[@Schteve59]

Funny to see John Lawrie as Murdoch, batman to a leader of the Home Guard. Lawrie had a role in the British comedy Dad's Army which was a parody of the Home Guard. Lawrie played Private Frazer a pessimistic Scot (obviously) whose catchphrase was "we're all doomed".

[@JohnWilliamNowak]

It's a very painful film in a lot of ways, one which raises the unanswerable question of how far is too far, and when does simple decency turn into a suicide pact, written and made during a war so catastrophic nobody can narrow down the total deaths within 30 million.

[@jamesthompson3674]

I am so glad someone on here has done a Reaction & Review on this film. The life and death of Colonel blimp, its my favourite film of all time, and Roger Livesey as Major General Clive Wynne-Candy is simply superb. Thank you for a cracking review.

[@bigneon_glitter]

A big influence on Scorsese, a masterpiece, & a beautiful study of character. Note how the story runs antithetical to expectation & cliché at every turn: it focuses on military custom before the duel, then pulls away; enemies of war become friends; romantic rivalries dissipate into celebration of mutual love, etc. There's a unique, core thread of empathy that runs throughout. It's also a cross-examination of ideal & national identity in the macro sense, in the film's portrayal of the collegial posturing of wartime custom & the dissolution of that illusion when confronted with new realities. Anton Wolbrook gives one the great monologues in cinema history & Roger Livesy gives one of the best performances of the era. There's a story of a famous actor who asked Livesy how his aging makeup was achieved, to which he replied, "It's called acting". Fun fact: made in 1942/1943, the production had to steal the wartime military trucks for use in the film. If you liked _Blimp,_ you'd enjoy these classics: _Dodsworth_ (1936) _The Duellists_ (1977)

[@alexachipman]

I was wondering if they “borrowed” some equipment from the Army for this!

[@epsteinisms1483]

Yours is the best thumbnail sketch of this great film I have ever read. I especially admired your attention to the way the film avoids the cliches at every turn. Also, Dodsworth is an ultra-fave as well!

[@666johnco]

There were women serving in the armed forces here in WW 1 and in the ammunition factories but they were all volunteers, what Colonel Candy is talking about is young women in the UK being subject to conscription. Either having to go into the military, into emergency services, the factories or the land army - working in farming. This included combat roles in later war years such as serving in Home Defense Anti-Aircraft batteries. This was very different from WW1, by the way no offence is intended by this clarification. I'm just advising the massive drawing in of women to a universal war effort. Sympathetic German character...... In 39 all the German's in the country were shipped to the Isle of Man where an area of hotels in a resort there was turned into an internment camp. By 1943 however our News Reels were happy to film happy German persons who had come here as refugees and were now serving in none combat roles in the UK armed forces and the camp had been closed.

[@delorangeade]

I must have been right at the end of my teens when I first saw this film and I sat down on my own in front of the tv one evening not sure what to expect, not really expecting to make it past the first few scenes. By the time it had finished, and for some time afterwards, I would name it as the best film I'd ever seen. It made such a huge impression on formative me. I think it most of all made me question my own assumptions about history, about the shape of the world, about who we are, and what are the rules.

[@WarrenFahyAuthor]

Wonderful commentary, as usual. Lots of belly-laughs. Interestingly, my 90-year-old mother told me today about my "Granny" during WWII. As well as my grandfather working security at Mare Island, my grandmother Dorothy Helstrom, a fine-looking petite woman, was the supervisor of building gun-sights for battleships on Mare Island. She had a fierce reputation and the men called her "Dutch," because it was usually trouble if she was coming to ask why certain materials hadn't been delivered on time.

[@alexachipman]

Nice, my family also worked at Mare Island, although a bit later than that.

[@routemaster19]

The role of films during WWII shouldn't be under estimated. As well as the usual in your face propaganda shorts and news reels you would expect we produced these masterpieces of social commentary, a sense of identity and what we were fighting to preserve. The use of colour as well would have been particularly striking as British films rarely had the budget to use Technicolor equipment. As you pointed out - this is a crafted film - every detail was carefully interwoven to create something that would stand the test of time. One of the best British films from this time was Ealing Studios' "Went The Day Well" - again propaganda but dressed up in a compelling story. Ealing also produced "The Bells Go Down" filmed during the Blitz giving an almost documentary feel to the picture about the firefighters of London. After the war Ealing again produced perhaps one of the best post war pictures about the conflict "The Cruel Sea" required viewing for anyone remotely interested in this era. Over on the other side - you could compare the 1942 German production of "Munchausen". Also shot in colour it shows a side of their culture they wanted to protect. I believe you did the 1988 Terry Gilliam version...so again would make a good contrast. Much later, the 1981 German film "Das Boot" is an excellent war film from the perspective of a German submarine crew - this would contrast perfectly with Ealing's 1953 "The Cruel Sea".

[@alexachipman]

Das Boot is so depressing to rewatch, though, knowing the ending!

[@tommyleague7212]

I just saw The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (again) last week. Good review. Other good war movies,(in my opinion) All quiet on the western front 1930, Casablanca 1943, They were expendable 1945, The best years of our lives 1946, Come and see (Russian) 1985, Letters from Iwo Jima 2006, City of life and death (Chinese) 2011. All are ww2 except All quiet on the western front. Be ready if you watch Come and See, (it is on some free streaming channels) it shows how war can be a nightmare. But all are good so enjoy!

[@geoffmason7215]

enjoyed both the reaction and the unexpected education thankyou

[@GarthKlein]

Movies about World War Two that were made during the war have a different feel to those made after. Beside the propaganda element was the simple fact that they didn't know how it would turn out. This make "Colonel Blimp" even more extraordinary.

[@rogermorris9696]

I would like to Suggest "A Matter Of Life And Death" 1946,

[@alexachipman]

If you can find it legally streaming for US viewers somewhere - I have been trying to find it now for 3 years with no luck.

[@oaf-77]

You might like ‘The Best Years of our Lives’ (1946)

[@davidfrost779]

Two great reactions to the film

[@davidfrost779]

Try making a Wrens uniform

[@mikesilva3868]

Sweet 😊

[@eddhardy1054]

Can someone explain the relevance of the 'Gentleman Soldier' subtitle that appears on screen while the 'British Grenadiers' march is playing? 🤔

[@alexachipman]

That is the name of the song they are playing :) it is a very old folk song. The reference is specifically to Gentleman Soldier because of … well the entire plot :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnXWlK2YdtFnapI it was also used later for British Grenadiers, since the tune is popular.

[@eddhardy1054]

@@alexachipman While it's true that the tunes are the same/similar, since the version played in TL&DoCB occurs as a British band marches by then that tune can definitely be considered 'The British Grenadiers' version with that march's particular lyrics. No regiment of that period would have marched to The Gentleman Soldier as it wasn't a formally recognised piece of military music. 😊

[@alexachipman]

@@eddhardy1054 I would argue no, considering the theme of this film was nonstop about a Gentleman soldier, I think the reason they specifically chose that tune is to reference it.

[@eddhardy1054]

@@alexachipman And yet Wynne-Candy and everyone who heard the band playing it would have known the tune (w)as 'The British Grenadiers' 😉😊

[@alexachipman]

@@eddhardy1054 One thing we can agree on most likely is that this film is a masterpiece :)

[@thisisnev]

Here's one for your consideration, Alexa: Oh! What A Lovely War, a musical about the First World War.

[@alexachipman]

That sounds intriguing but I have noticed music most often leads to blocked videos. I have to cut so much of it out that I am then deluged by outraged comments, when I had no choice due to KZbin restrictions, so now I am just avoiding musicals, if possible.

[@thisisnev]

@@alexachipman The songs are all authentic 'trench songs' dating from the war so they're well out of copyright. Even if you can't make a review, though, it's well worth watching. It's one of the most moving films I've ever seen, and I think you'll be fascinated by it on so many levels!

[@alexachipman]

@@thisisnev Trust me, it doesn't matter if they are copyright or not, if they are used in a movie, KZbin will block the video :) it's what they do.

[@elenadehaan6549]

will you be watching and reacting to outlanders new episodes ?

[@alexachipman]

Yes, Patreon should have episode one out in the next few days (I am editing it currently, actually) and the rest as early access. Public KZbin will get them eventually, not sure when yet. Either during the season break or after Penny Dreadful.