GLORIOUS 39
UK, 2009, 129 minutes, Colour.
Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Julie Christie, David Tennant, Juno Temple, Eddie Redmayne, Christopher Lee, Charlie Cox, Hugh Bonneville, Jenny Agutter, Jeremy Northam, Corin Redgrave.
Directed by Stephen Poliakoff.
Something of an old-fashioned, post-Hitchcock, British drama/melodrama with sinister characters, political overtones and a blonde heroine in peril. A film that critics easily deride as implausible and derivative but which audiences who accept heightened melodramas may well enjoy.
The title refers to the beautiful summer weather of 1939 which, however, culminated in the invasion of Poland and the declaration by Britain of war against Hitler.
The film focuses on a family, happy, living a somewhat idyllic life. Anne (Romola Garai), adopted, is an actress. Her brother and sister, born to her parents (Bill Nighy and Jenny Agutter), Ralph (Eddie Redmayne) and Celia (Juno Temple) are devoted and Ralph, with the support of his Tory politician father, has taken up a post in the Secret Service.
Tension enters when a politician friend (David Tennant) is murdered and suspicion turns towards an enigmatic family guest, Balcombe (Jeremy Northam) and Anne's discovery of some archived foxtrot records which turn out to be recordings of sinister meetings. There is reason for suspicion as we learn. Some aristocratic Britons feared war because they would lose their property and way of life were Hitler to win, so they plan to buy him off with money grants to halt re-armament (which indicates how out of touch they were). They abhor Churchill and his willingness to stand up to Hitler. And, it seems, they stoop to spying and murder to protect the secrecy of their conspiracy. One of the victims is a genial actor who works with Anne (Hugh Bonneville).
Sometimes the film is reminiscent of those old John Buchan spy stories like The 39 Steps.
As well as the strong cast already noted, Julie Christie appears as Aunt Elizabeth and Christopher Lee and Corin Redgrave appear in the framing of the film where a young boy in the present goes to interview them as to what happened to Anne. We know that she is hounded by the conspirators and interned by them. But...
Fans of old British movies will be pleased to see Muriel Pavlow briefly at the end of the film.
So, a bit of old-fashioned, colourful English politics and drama.
1.A British story, British history, the 1930s, World War Two?
2.The background, the 1930s and the appeasement of Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, the Munich Agreement? British attitudes towards Germany, German expansion, the Nazis? The desire for peace, prosperity? The secret plan for a pact with Hitler, the money to disarm Hitler? Conspiracy, espionage? How credible? Historical?
3.The style of the film, the glorious summer, the British countryside, Norfolk, the abbey ruins, the mansion house? London, the world of the upper class? Parliament, Secret Service? The different atmospheres? The musical score?
4.The opening and the happiness, with Anne, Celia and Ralph? The family, Anne as adopted, her upbringing, the bonds with her father and mother, the brother and sister?
5.Anne and her adoption, an actress, in the family, Ralph and Celia, at the meals, visitors, the bond with her father, discussions, confidant? Her mother busy with the garden? Society? With Mr Balcombe? The discussion at the table about Europe, preparations for war? Hector and his outburst?
6.Anne and Mr Balcombe, at the picnic? Wanting her father to get rid of the papers? The family being forbidden to go into the document area, the cat going in, Anne retrieving the cat, finding the foxtrot records, listening? The minutes of meetings? Her father’s response?
7.The picnic, the place of Aunt Elizabeth in the family, Walter and Oliver, the disappearance of the baby, Anne sleeping, her concern, the search, everybody looking, finding the baby? The later revelation of Walter and the plan to teach Anne a lesson?
8. Laurence and his work, contacts, political stance? His being sent to Paris? His suspicions? The meeting with Anne, its being interrupted by Aunt Elizabeth? The plans to meet each other, taking the pet to the vet, the issue of the cats, the cats being lost? The choice of the vet? Anne and her discussions with her father, going to the vet, being followed? The sinister vet and the staff, putting her in the room by herself? Her going into the freezing area, discovering Laurence’s body? The effect? Her being rescued?
9. The news of the death of Hector? Gilbert and his concern? Friendship with Anne, at the picnic, with Aunt Elizabeth, listening to the record, rehearsing the scene, the performance, his message to Anne to listen to the record? Anne going to the dubbing, hearing the message and seeing Gilbert? His suicide? The reactions?
8.Anne listening to the record, Ralph and his talk, the minutes for her father, the revelation of the plot?
9.Anne relegated to the countryside, to be a companion for Aunt Elizabeth, her being observed, the spies, her taking the car, the pursuit, the barrier, her being detained, the treatment, her father and Ralph getting her release?
10.The character of her father, politics, upper class, suave? Passionate? Getting Ralph a job in the Secret Service? Celia and her social life? The mother and her continued preoccupation with gardening?
11.The family conspiracy, Anne being pursued, caught, drugged, imprisoned? Her appeals to the family? Ralph and his information that she had gypsy background? Anne at the social, going to the basement, being trapped?
12.The nature of the conspiracy, the rationale?
13.Anne’s mother, the garden, opening the door and letting her daughter go?
14.The assumption that Anne had died?
15.The framework, the grandson, in London, visiting Walter and Oliver, in old age, the photo album, the photo of Anne, the two men and their telling the story, not knowing what had happened to Anne?
16.The meeting, Anne as a survivor?
17.How effective the film as drama? Its melodramatic moments – style, British post-Hitchcock style? The re-creation of the era, and the critique of British attitudes?
