SYNOPSICS
We Are Not Alone (1939) is a English,German movie. Edmund Goulding has directed this movie. Paul Muni,Una O'Connor,Jane Bryan,Flora Robson are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1939. We Are Not Alone (1939) is considered one of the best Crime,Drama,History,Romance movie in India and around the world.
Warner Brothers' publicity releases, intended for newspapers, on this movie state that Paul Muni worked closely with James Hilton on the adaptation of Hilton's book for this movie. Given that most publicity releases of the time (and also now) are best when taken with several grains of salt, this may or may not be true: Dr. David Newcome lives with his wife Jessica and son Gerald in the small English town of Calderbury. Jessica, conventional and somewhat stupid, is unable to understand the sensitive little boy and her stern, unsympathetic discipline aggravates Gerald's nervousness. The doctor is called to care for Leni, an Austrian dancer stranded in England, who has tried to commit suicide, and he decides she is just the person to hire as a governess for Gerald based on, evidently, no logic at all, but it does move the plot. Jessica learns the true story of Leni's background and demands she be discharged. Dr. Newcome arranges to have Leni enrolled in a music school. Gerald, being sent...
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We Are Not Alone (1939) Reviews
The seams show
Part One of this interesting film concerns the loveless marriage of a kindly, patient and gentle village doctor to his cold, repressed and shrewish wife; each of them, as well as their young son, becomes a victim of this unfortunate union. Further domestic complications ensue when a young woman, adrift in the world and manifesting suicidal tendencies, enters their lives. Her obvious capacity to give and receive love captivates the doctor and his son, but increases the wife's bitterness and adds to the already considerable domestic tension. But all of this becomes secondary about 2/3 of the way through when a contrived circumstance results in the wife's death, which we know to be accidental but the law sees as a conspiracy between the doctor and the young woman to murder her. Thus, Part Two: arrest, incarceration, trial. Following a guilty verdict, the miscarriage of justice moves to the background, and we are given Part Three: scenes of stoic acceptance and acknowledgement of a highly spiritual love between the doctor and the young woman, both of whom have been condemned to die. This promising tale loses its way not once, but twice. The unity it requires is noticeably lacking. A further distraction (because it does not meld with the main story) is the screen time devoted to villagers persecuting Germans earning a living in England as the clouds darken with the imminence of World War II. There are excellent performances by two of the cinema's very best: Paul Muni and Flora Robson. The rest of the cast is impressive as well. If only the writers and director had been more conscientious about joining the parts.
a superb film
This movie could have been an all-time classic, except that it's timing was disastrous - an anti-war film seeking sympathy for a Germanic heroine released in the second week of 1939! But, now, removed from the immediate patriotic passions of that time, we can objectively appreciate the quality and meaning of the film. It was ahead of its time also in the fact of it not following the strict constraints of 'genre' films - it had a very complex story to tell and told it truthfully and unflinchingly. I notice that several of the reviews posted here criticize the film for "being two different movies", or "changing gears midway through and becoming another film." Sorry people, that was the whole point of this cinematic exercise - a unique and totally challenging film. I'm afraid that these critics are used to getting their films rigidly by the numbers and can't take complexity or surprise. This is an extremely complex film and, while straightforwardly entertaining, can be understood on so many different levels of meaning. There is absolute genius in the subtle symbolism of some of its messages, and the more thoughtful, analytical, and sophisticated the viewer - the more they will get from it. Heartbreaking, I believe, is the word which best describes the feeling one comes away with. The film's deceptive surface simplicity absolutely devastates the viewer by the end. Most people I've watched this with, men and women both, are shaken and in tears at the end - even the most jaded of viewers Jake an excuse to leave the room for a while in an effort to resist the emotion. Emotion - the key to the film's success is almost entirely due to the exquisite and incomparable musical score of Max Steiner. MAX STEINER wrote the score in 7 days, working night and day, so that he could be able to depart from Warners and go to Selznick studios to begin his commitment to writing the music for "Gone with the Wind". As monumental as that score was, his intense effort for "We Are Not Alone" is even greater. The scoring is not only melodic and beautiful, but the choice of orchestration grabs the heart and the thematic expertise emotionally is the soul and guiding force of the film. And Tony Gaudio's excellent photography conveys a nice pictorial compliment. Needless to say, the acting is superb, especially Jane Bryan, who Noel Coward called the finest movie actress in the world after seeing this film. This is a one and only, and if you're a sensitive, intelligent lover of true beauty - it's for you. There will never be an equal.
one of the 10 best films of 1938
Paul Muni and Jane Bryan give an outstanding performance in this drama. Taken from a novel by James Hilton, this story concerns a village doctor, his wife, and a plain German girl who became their little boys governess. Most of the movie is of the trial of the doctor and the governess who are accused of killing the mean spirited doctor's wife. The love between the simple doctor and the German governess is so tender that your heart goes out to both of them.. Jane Bryan, a young actress from the Warner lot was an outstanding actress, but a few years after making this movie, she quit making films and seemed to disappear completely. It was our loss.
Paul Muni is a pleasure to watch
I have watched this movie many times because I always enjoy watching Paul Muni, no matter what role he is in. This movie is an opportunity to see Muni without the heavy make-up that he wore in many of his movies. Although I like this movie a lot, I was rather disappointed in the ending. It seemed to change gears about halfway through. The movie goes from being a poignant love story to making a political statement about war. But I still recommend it. Muni, Flora Robson and Jane Bryan all give excellent performances and Muni's relationship with his son is beautiful to see.
James Hilton takes on "The Crippen Case"
James Hilton's track record in movies based on his novels is pretty good. LOST HORIZON, GOODBYE MR. CHIPS, and RANDOM HARVEST were turned into first rate films. RAGE IN HEAVEN was less successful. But there is also this fine tragedy about two simple people who are embroiled in circumstances that not only destroy them but blacken their memories. Paul Muni is a doctor in a small country town, married to Flora Robson. They have a son. Robson is a tad domineering, and Muni is subservient. Jane Bryan is a German woman who is in England just as World War I begins. Hated by the xenophobes in the country, Bryan is hired as a nanny by Robson. She gets closer to Muni and his son, much to the dismay of Robson. Robson is a hypochondriac, and when she has a headache she wants some medicine. Her son brings the wrong pill, and she dies as a result. Bryan was preparing to leave the town with Muni's assistance, when they are arrested (appearing as they do to be about to skip out). They are tried for the murder, and circumstantial evidence conspires to condemn them. They are executed before the movie ends. The description does not do justice to the story. Hilton's novel is based loosely on the Crippen Case (see THE SUSPECT), except that it is taking the point that Crippen was not guilty (some people who felt sorry for Dr. Crippen felt he was never been able to show he did not commit his wife's murder). Also, Hilton is reexamining the extreme xenophobia that swept Great Britain in 1914-1918 towards Germany and it's people and culture (a similar xenophobia would hit the U.S. from 1915 to 1918, culminating in such acts as calling frankfurters "hot dogs" and banning German operas from the Metropolitan Opera House). In this respect the film is of considerable historical interest. Finally Hilton is into the running irony of the plot. While in prison Muni philosophizes about the circumstances leading to his and Bryan's fates, and it turns out that he realizes that the powers that be that have helped craft their ill-deserved demise are the same bunch of idiots causing the massive slaughter known as World War I. Hence the ironic title of the film - it is more than the story of the destructions of two innocent people in a botched trial. It is the story of the destruction of millions by elected fools. Of particular note in an outstanding cast are Henry Daniell and Una O'Connor. Daniell is as unsympathetic as normal, but here he actually is the public prosecutor. While the film audience realizes he has misread the evidence and is railroading two innocent people to the gallows, one has to remember he does not know this but looks at the evidence as accumulating to pointing out the guilt of Muni and Bryant. Actually he is a very effective prosecutor (and his character, Sir Ronald Dawson, seems based on Crippen's very effective prosecutor, Sir Richard Muir). O'Connor is Bryant's foe due to Bryant's German background, and she does testify against her. But as she does she slowly realizes that she is putting the noose around the necks of both Muni and Bryant, and it does not sit well with her. The last three minutes of the film concentrate on her, as she realizes Muni and Bryant are dead, and as she confronts evidence that they have not lived in vain. The conclusion is reaffirming and heartbreaking at the same time.