NONE SHALL ESCAPE

US, 1944, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Alexander Knox, Marsha Hunt, Henry Travers.
Directed by Andre de Toth.

A striking World War II story is the little seen, None Shall Escape (1944, director Andre de Toth). It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay by Lester Cole, one of the Hollywood Ten. Its plot presupposes the end of the war and an Allied victory. The setting is a war crimes tribunal, anticipating the trials at Nuremburg. The accused is a German officer, played with grim seriousness by Alexander Knox, who was a regional commander of an area of Poland where he previously been a teacher. It is a strong condemnation of an evil man who is guilty of rape of a teenager, sending his nephew’s girlfriend to the ‘Officers’ Club’ for prostitution, finally shooting this nephew for defying him and giving up his Nazi loyalties. The depiction does not let up on its portrait of Nazi inhumanity and ideology.

Three witnesses speak against the accused. One is a priest played by Henry Travers. He is a benign parish priest, gently performing his duties in his small Polish village. His good friend is the Rabbi with whom he talks, plays chess, and supports. He fills in the story of the accused from 1919 to 1923. This includes his niece breaking off her engagement because of her fiance’s harsh attitudes. The priest deals with the village’s sadness at the suicide of the girl who was raped.

The niece is the third witness against the accused. She has returned to the village at the outbreak of World War II, encountering her former fiancé when he returns as ruthless commander. He summons the priest, the rabbi and the mayor to make his intentions clear, even inviting himself to the priest’s house, bringing his own luxury food while he confiscates local produce for the German military.

Drama comes to a head when the Jews are rounded up for transportation and the Rabbi makes a stirring speech urging his people to stand against the Nazis. They are massacred, the priest witnessing the killings and being with the Rabbi as he died. He also conducts a service in the church for the murder of his grandniece at the Officer’s Club. He also attends to the accused’s nephew after he has been shot in the Church.

This is a benign priest rather than his having to be a heroic priest even though he stands up to the Nazis. It is interesting to reflect on this portrait of Catholic-Jewish? friendship considering the amount of anti-Semitism in Poland at the time.

1. An American film of 1944? At that stage of the war? Anticipating the end? Victory? The trials? The future peace? The condemnation of the Nazis and their behaviour? Concentration camps?

2. The re-creation of the Polish town, the Poles in World War One, the German influence, after the war, ordinary people, the town as Catholic, the presence of the Jews, the rabbi, the community?

3. As produced by Columbia, the work of Lester Cole, communism and later being blacklisted? The only work of the director? The Oscar nomination and the screenplay? A now-forgotten film?

4. The description of the Nazi leader as an evil monster? In himself, his motivations, his needs, behaviour, the disdain of freedom, his cruelty?

5. The studio representation of old Poland, the town itself, the square, homes, the church? The musical score?

6. The structure of the film, the war trial, the three witnesses and their testimony, the role of the judge, the role of the accused, denouncing the testimony as fabrications, not questioning the witnesses? The flashbacks, the cumulative effect of seeing the story from 1919 to the 1940s?

7. Henry Travers as the priest, in himself, work in the parish, his age, relationship with the people, his niece helping him, the status quo of Catholicism in Poland? The presence of the Jews, of the rabbi, the priest calling him his friend, their playing chess?

8. 1919, the effect of the war, people killed, people returning, Grimm and his return and teaching, taking up his old job, his bitterness from the war, loss of a limb, assuming that people found him hard to deal with, or repelled by his disability? Previously engaged to Marja, assuming she was repelled, her surprise? Going to the school, his arrogance, considering the Poles as inferior, the attention from the young girl? Her infatuation? His starting again?

9. Marja, her love for him, his return, his bitterness, casting aspersions on her, her hesitation, ending the engagement?

10. His reaction, bitterness, the rape of the girl, the effect on her, accusations against Jan, leaving home, drowning herself? At the church, the priest, her coffin? The arrest of Grimm? Jan throwing the stone at him? The audience not seeing the trial, the accusations from the collective evidence?

11. His being ousted, borrowing money from priest and rabbi? Repaying the loan? Or this from the testimony of the priest?

12. The brother’s testimony, 1923, his marriage and children, comfortable in Munich, his work as a reporter, with Hitler emerging as the leader, his not being taken seriously? Grimm arriving, moving in, previous lack of contact, pretending he had a glass eye, his leg wound? His friendship with his nephew? The passing of the years? The 1930s? Grimm in SS uniform, his views, receiving the medal, the brother’s decision to leave his work, go to Vienna, the family packing, his brother betraying him, sent to the concentration camp? Not knowing what had become of Grimm or his son?

13. Marja’s testimony, but having seen only once since he left the town? her own life, marriage, having a daughter? The experience of the war, the return home? The occupation, harshness, Grimm and his being in charge of the area, wanting to get his revenge, his despising of the people, bringing his nephew, the nephew’s brain-washing and his becoming a Nazi? Grimm’s meeting the priest, the rabbi, the mayor, his dominance? The dinner, bringing his own food? His wanting to find Jan? His being told that he was at the war? The impositions on the farmers, the lack of food, transporting people from the town, the trains, sending the Jews away?

14. The rabbi, his friendship with the priest, his stands at the railway station, his fearless speech and the history of the Jews, persecution, urging the people to take a stand? The massacre as the Jews exited the train, the rabbi being wounded, with the priest, his death?

15. The nephew, attracted to Marjar’s daughter, Marja wary, Grimm and his anger? Their seeing each other, falling in love? The challenge to the young man? His discussions with Marja, her explaining the evil of his uncle? The vengeance of Grimm, sending the daughter to the officers’ club, to be used as a prostitute? The young man’s anger? Her being shot, her body in the church, the priest and his defiance of Grimm? The ceremony? The young man going to the church, taking off the Nazi regalia, his uncle’s anger, shooting his nephew?

16. Grimm seemingly unredeemable? Not showing any sign of repentance or remorse?

17. The judge and his final speech with the hopes for world peace?