OVERLORD

US, 2018, 110 minutes, Colour.
Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, Pilou Aesback, John Magaro,Bokeem Woodbine.
Directed by Julius Avery.

Overlord was the name given to the World War II mission that came to be known as De-Day?, June 6th 1944 and the days after.

The first part of Overlord is a war film, opening with views of ships sailing the Atlantic, planes flying, bombardments, the voices of Churchill and Roosevelt, the atmosphere of the invasion. The action then narrows to the interior of one of the planes, troops flying to land in France, a specific mission to take out a communications tower in a church in a French village, opening the way for safer communications during the attack. The intensity of the first part of the film reminds audiences that one of the most vivid D-Day? films was Stephen Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.

The men in the plane chat, are jovial, get a pep talk from the commander, one of the men, It Boyce (Jovan Adepo) nervous, ridiculed for his apprehensiveness by the others. As the men line up to parachute, the plane is hit, the men jolted, out they go, dangerous landings, Boyce parachuting into the sea, cutting himself free, through the floating parachute, on to French soil.

So, the first part of the film is a war film, anticipation of horrors.

Then the film moves into familiar territory from those old action dramas of the French Resistance, Allied troops coming into a town, seeking shelter from the locals, avoiding the presence of the Germans. While much of the action resembles those wartime films, there is a desperation because of the time limit for the achieving of the mission. There are dangers in the woods. They encounter a young woman scavenging who is able to help them avoid the Germans, taking shelter in her attic, the younger brother there, fascinated by Americans, holding his baseball and his mitt. There are also strange noises in the night, an old aunt, a glimpse of disfigurement – and the beginnings of horror.

Most audiences would be able to watch these parts of the film. But, a warning word of review is that if they don’t exit the cinema at this stage, they might soon be likely to leave in a rush. This is definitely a horror film.

It is not as if this part of the film is not familiar. The soldiers discover experimental laboratories under the church, memories of Nazi clinical human experiments. And so the tension rises, will the group be able to blow up the church tower. What will they discover? How will they deal with it? Probably a useful indication (invitation to fans, warning to non-fans) that this part of the film derives from the zombie genre.

(Overlord was received well by many of the fans, the main complaint being that there was insufficient zombie horror!).

The film has respectable antecedents, writer-producer J.J.Abrams, writer Billy Ray. It is been directed by young Australian, Julius Avery (Son of a Gun). While the film draws on the conventions of horror, fright, disgust, violence, touches of gore, there is also some humanity, especially with the portrait of Boyce, his experiences, growing confidence, decisions in the face of harsh reality. There is also a humanity in the young woman and the plight of her brother. There is viciousness on the part of the German official as well as one of those sinister, conscienceless glacial doctors.

Some raise the question as to whether this is offensive to make a film using the background of D-Day? and its memories. It is a long time ago. But, if filmmakers want to combine war, occupation and Resistance, human experiments with dire consequences (a suggestion that the scientists and doctors could manipulate human beings to live at least for the thousand year Reich!), Then Overlord is successful at what it sets out to do.

1. The title? The D- Day operation?

2. The opening, the tone, footage of the invasion, voices of Churchill, Roosevelt? The visuals of the ships, the planes, the defence, bombardments? Action? The interior of the plane, the air force? Claustrophobic? Intimations of horror?

3. The context of the invasion, France occupied, the presence of the Germans? The raid, the target of the church tower?

4. France, the landscapes, the forest at night, dangers? The town, the streets, the houses, bridges? Authentic locations? The musical score?

5. The sense of the mission, the talk of the men on board the plane, Boyce and his apprehension? The plan, the corporal, morale? The plane hit, crashing, the parachutes, Boyce landing in the water, surfacing, finding Ford, the others? The commander, taken by the Germans, his execution?

6. Chloe, scavenging in the forest, the confrontation with the men? Boyce knowing French? Her testing out the men, speaking English? In the village, the presence of the Germans? The officer in charge? The alert, Chloe taking them to the house, the attic, Paul and his age, the baseball? The aunt upstairs and the glimpses of her disfigurement? The sounds in the night? Intimations of horror?

7. The German officer, arriving at the house, the sexual encounter with Chloe, the men outside? In the house, Chloe and her reaction? Paul and the baseball dropping, the men checking it? Boyce and looking through the floor, observing, the decision to attack? Tying up the German? Ford and his interrogation, his violence, brutality?

8. The American characters, the man with a camera and his taking the shots? The Jewish man apprehensive of the Germans? The loud American? The corporal, serving in Italy, tough?

9. Boyce, African- American, from Louisiana and training to 3 months later in France? His being mocked by the men? On the plane, his doubts, the parachute, the survival, the telling of the story about his unwillingness to kill the mouse? His reaction to the violence? His interactions with the men?

10. The mission, Boyce sent to rendezvous with the other men, the fields, the bodies, the flamethrower? Pursued by the dog? Getting into the truck, the men inside?

11. Getting inside the gate, the laboratories, his discoveries, the extent, the purpose, the thousand year Reich and soldier warriors, experimenting on the French citizens, their bodies, the mutilations, voices of pity, the ruthless doctor, the soldiers on guard? The transition to a horror film? In the zombie tradition?

12. Boyce, rescuing his fellow soldier, getting out through the drain, returning to the house, everybody underestimating Boyce?

13. Ford, the decision about the mission, the orders, the plan? The interrogation of the German? Chloe stabbing him? The soldier with a camera stabbed, dying, his rising again, the men killing him? The syringe, his transformation? His escape, taking Paul? The Americans arguing? The pursuit?

14. The plan, Chloe and the chase, the soldier on his bike, the sexual attack, the explosives, his being taped, sent into the laboratories, the explosion? The Americans and the covering fire? Boyce and Ford going in, with Chloe, finding Paul and his rescue?

15. Ford, the confrontation with the German officer, his being transformed? Ford and the syringe, his transformation, the confrontation with the German? The zombie battle? Locking out Boyce? The German taking out the detonator?

16. Boyce, the setup, restoring the detonator? The rescue, his escape, the rescue of Paul, under fire, the heroism of the loudmouthed American for Paul?

17. The official interrogation afterwards, Boyce keeping the whole event secret? The elimination of the laboratory, the doctor, the collapse of the tower and the Communications? D- Day proceeding?