War

The story of the Swiss soldier, Henri Dunant (Jean-Louis Barrault), who was responsible for the founding of the Red Cross, and who was offered the first Nobel Peace Prize.

An American flyer who joined the RAF before his country was in the war is recovering from a leg injury in Jerusalem. Through an English friend he meets a quiet Jewish girl whose close-knit family originally came from Spain. The two are attracted to each other but she is convinced their diverse backgrounds mean it could never work; not only is he a gentile, his father is a protestant minister. So though they keep running into each other in the small community, they find themselves just as frequently parting again.

In 1944, Léon Duchemin , a restaurant owner living in Normandy, leads a peaceful life. His restaurant is frequented by German officers, black marketers and members of the French Resistance, but his clients’ exploits hold no interest for him at all. That is until an English airman falls out of the sky and lands in his daughter’s bed. From that day, his life takes an unexpected turn and he ends up as an unwitting agent of the Resistance…

The film is depicting Czechoslovak tank brigade fighting along with the Red Army in the WW II. During the War Czechoslovak armored brigade was formed and trained in the Soviet Union. Although aware that they will be fighting mighty enemy and that many of them will not survive, that did not stop them. Brigade was performing successfully in the battles for Kiev, Rudi, Bela Czernaczovo Cerkev and became renown in the battles for Dukla i Ostrawa. The film also deals with the faith of one tank crew, which fights on the most difficult terrain covered by the Czechoslovak Independent Brigade. The destiny of the tank commander, sergeant Juraj Klimke was followed during the bloody battle at Dukla. Juraj shows that his harshness is only a mask and that he is in fact a shy and sensitive person. Battle scenes in the film were enacted by 3000 members of Czechoslovak Army.

In Shenandoah, Virginia, widower farmer Charlie Anderson lives a peaceful life with his six sons – Jacob, James, Nathan, John, Henry and Boy, his daughter Jennie, and his daughter-in-law and James’ wife Ann Anderson. Charlie does not let his sons join the army to fight in the Civil War that he does not consider their war. Jennie marries her beloved Lieutenant Sam, but they do not have a honeymoon since Sam has to return to the front. Charlie’s youngest son Boy is mistakenly taken prisoner by soldiers from the North so Charlie rides with his sons to rescue Boy, while James and Ann stay on the farm. It is time of violence and war, and tragedy reaches the Anderson family.

Three inseparable companions, the Air Force students Marco, Mario and Philip, are eagerly following courses for the achievement of the pilot’s license. They come to Caserta to spend a holiday with the mother and younger sister of Mario, and a romance blossoms between the sister and Mark. But the brother of the girl is stubbornly opposed to their engagement because he is not convinced of the seriousness of the intentions of Mark and so their friendship suffers. Having completed the courses, the students are separated and are being sent to their destinations on the battlefield. After several months the girl’s brother has an accident in his unit, he is wounded and forced to land on enemy grounds. One can guess the rest.

In 1938, in Gibraltar to infiltrate terrorists who sabotage the boats with troups which should sail to Palestine, a British officer poses as a traitor… The pulpy Mercedes (Viviane Romance), a dancer in a seedy cabaret of Tangier “who draws men like light attracts butterflies…” is spying on behalf of the mysterious Marson interpreted masterfully by Erich Von Stroheim.

Austeria takes place during the opening days of World War I, in the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. Tag (Franciszek Pieczka) is a Jewish innkeeper whose inn (austeria means inn in the local Polish dialect) is located near the border with Russia. War has broken out and local civilians are fleeing the advancing Russian Army, and several groups of refugees have taken shelter in Tag’s inn for the night. A group of Hassidic jews from the neighboring village arrive, followed by an Austrian baroness on and a Hungarian hussar cut off from his unit…

This wartime drama recounts the training process of the British Tank Corps. The story concentrates on two recruits: Englishman Philip (Edward Underdown) and American David (Ralph Clanton). After a grueling training period and a long, frustratingly uneventful encampment on British soil, Philip and David are shipped to the Front. Both men have a rendezvous with destiny during the German offensive at Ardennes. R.S.M. Brittain etches a chilling portrayal of a merciless drill sergeant, while the splendidly mustached Michael Trubshawe is equally effective as a by-the-book major. Since there must be a romantic subplot, it is fortunate indeed that the heroes’ ladies are played by two charming and talented actresses, Helen Cherry and Stella Andrews.

As writer Harry Street lays gravely wounded from an African hunting accident he feverishly reflects on what he perceives as his failures at love and writing. Through his delirium he recalls his one true love Cynthia Green who he lost by his obsession for roaming the world in search of stories for his novels. Though she is dead Cynthia continues to haunt Street’s thoughts. In spite of one successful novel after another, Street feels he has compromised his talent to ensure the success of his books, making him a failure in his eyes. His neglected wife Helen tends to his wounds, listens to his ranting, endures his talk of lost loves, and tries to restore in him the will to fight his illness until help arrives. Her devotion to him makes him finally realize that he is not a failure. With his realization of a chance for love and happiness with Helen, he regains his will to live.