"The Moon is Down" is one of the best anti-Nazi and anti-war propaganda films of all time. It was made at the height of World War II and was released in the U.S. in March 1943. While the movie didn't show in occupied countries of Scandinavia until after the war, the book on which it was based had been translated in several languages and distributed across Europe, including Russia. The John Steinbeck novel by the same title was published in March 1942.
The book doesn't name countries or real historical characters. The setting is a town in northern Europe that was occupied by troops of a country that isn't named. It is at war with England and Russia. It lies along a coast and has a coal mine. The movie, of course, puts names on the obvious. It's a Norwegian village that has an iron mine, and the German's invade and occupy the town. They press the town's people into running the iron mine 12 hours a day. They are able to take the town easily because a town traitor arranges a ruse for the dozen militiamen to be in the country training. When they see a German parachute drop, they hurry back toward town. The Germans have a trap set up and mow them down with a machine gun.
The bulk of the film from thereon is a drama and battle of wills between the Norwegian people and the German commanders. It's a powerful movie, with philosophical discussions about the will of the people and dislike for enslavement. This takes place mostly between German Col. Lansen, Mayor Orden, and Dr. Albert Winter. Cedric Hardwicke plays Lanser, Henry Travers is the mayor and Lee J. Cobb is the doctor. Other characters have some dramatic roles and action scenes. E.J. Ballantine is George Corell, the traitor who disguised himself nicely and was liked by the children and people of the town. With the German occupation, we see his true colors and a change in character to a hardened persecutor. Dorris Bowden plays Molly Morden, whose husband is killed by the Germans after he strikes a German officer who dies. Peter van Eyck is Lt. Tonder, a German officer who longs for home and wants to get along with the people. He meets his end at the hand of Molly.
This film has several messages about justice, vengeance, retribution, oppression, freedom, loyalty, family, and complicity. One that stands out is Lt. Tonder. While he may otherwise be a good person and gentle soul, he is part of an occupying army that is killing people of another place. He just wants the local people to accept their plight so everyone can get along. He is complicit in the crimes against humanity.
While the film, the village and the Norwegian people portrayed are stoic, the lack of any emotion is exaggerated to the point that it shakes the believability of the film toward the end. Except for one wife who cries as her husband goes off to his execution, no one shows an iota of fear, hurt, anger, real sorrow or loss. Such a dispassionate composure almost seems like aloofness on the part of the people. At times, they seem like robots.
That may have been the intention of the director and screenwriters, for stark comparison and shock effect. But, it's the one reason I didn't give the film 10 stars. It just misses being believable beyond a doubt. But there's no doubt about the encouragement for people overrun by Germany to resist the captors in every way possible.
The book doesn't name countries or real historical characters. The setting is a town in northern Europe that was occupied by troops of a country that isn't named. It is at war with England and Russia. It lies along a coast and has a coal mine. The movie, of course, puts names on the obvious. It's a Norwegian village that has an iron mine, and the German's invade and occupy the town. They press the town's people into running the iron mine 12 hours a day. They are able to take the town easily because a town traitor arranges a ruse for the dozen militiamen to be in the country training. When they see a German parachute drop, they hurry back toward town. The Germans have a trap set up and mow them down with a machine gun.
The bulk of the film from thereon is a drama and battle of wills between the Norwegian people and the German commanders. It's a powerful movie, with philosophical discussions about the will of the people and dislike for enslavement. This takes place mostly between German Col. Lansen, Mayor Orden, and Dr. Albert Winter. Cedric Hardwicke plays Lanser, Henry Travers is the mayor and Lee J. Cobb is the doctor. Other characters have some dramatic roles and action scenes. E.J. Ballantine is George Corell, the traitor who disguised himself nicely and was liked by the children and people of the town. With the German occupation, we see his true colors and a change in character to a hardened persecutor. Dorris Bowden plays Molly Morden, whose husband is killed by the Germans after he strikes a German officer who dies. Peter van Eyck is Lt. Tonder, a German officer who longs for home and wants to get along with the people. He meets his end at the hand of Molly.
This film has several messages about justice, vengeance, retribution, oppression, freedom, loyalty, family, and complicity. One that stands out is Lt. Tonder. While he may otherwise be a good person and gentle soul, he is part of an occupying army that is killing people of another place. He just wants the local people to accept their plight so everyone can get along. He is complicit in the crimes against humanity.
While the film, the village and the Norwegian people portrayed are stoic, the lack of any emotion is exaggerated to the point that it shakes the believability of the film toward the end. Except for one wife who cries as her husband goes off to his execution, no one shows an iota of fear, hurt, anger, real sorrow or loss. Such a dispassionate composure almost seems like aloofness on the part of the people. At times, they seem like robots.
That may have been the intention of the director and screenwriters, for stark comparison and shock effect. But, it's the one reason I didn't give the film 10 stars. It just misses being believable beyond a doubt. But there's no doubt about the encouragement for people overrun by Germany to resist the captors in every way possible.