The Mortal Storm (1940) Reviews

• Hitler Hated This Film

  irishcoffee6302003-07-13

  When Hitler saw this movie he banned all MGM films from Nazi occupied Europe. That is how powerful this movie is. Top notch acting and high production values augment this thought provoking script about life in nazi Germany for an average family. Very final scene with a young Robert Stack and his brother is chilling. The message of this film of standing up against adversity and what you believe in, is as fresh today as in 1940 when this film was released. Cast is marvelous with a toss up between Jimmy Stewart and Frank Morgan (who played the wizard in Oz the year before) to who steals the film. But then everyone is good in this. Robert Young plays against type as an preppy evil Nazi. Interesting note: German Ambassador to US asked Louis B Mayer to "think twice" about releasing this movie. Thankfully he only thought once. See this you will not be disappointed.

• Nothing short of a masterpiece !

  nicholas.rhodes2004-12-04

  This film is nothing short of a masterpiece ! For its time. Although the world situation has changed completely today, and the film may have little or no relevance to the current world situation, at the time in 1940, this was a very very powerful work indeed ! I had always been curious about this film, having read the book when I was young ( in the 1960's ) and was shocked by it ! It's not a war film and it's not the war aspect that frightened me. No, its the way a happily united family can become so disunited because of politics which sent shivers up my spine !! Suddenly, a peaceful and harmonious situation changes dramatically, and you are obliged to take sides, even fighting against your own blood. It really is awesome. Acting is first-rate and image, though in black and white is more than passable for the period ! I can well imagine the film to have been a very powerful piece of anti-Nazi propaganda ! I'm sorry to have to complain about this again but here we have yet another film which should have been out on DVD for several years but ........ there's no sign of it ! Quite honestly, I found this quite unnerving to watch and felt ill at ease observing the gradual breakdown within the family. It certainly isn't a film for the faint hearted and I won't go any further than mention briefly that AWFUL final scene ........!!

• Great performances;Fantastic unknown movie

  4truth-12005-01-12

  If you are a true fan of human drama and don't need high-tech or low-brow eye candy to entertain and move you than this film is a must see. Although it's hard to believe Jimmy Stewart as a German, (he makes no attempt at an accent) the story is utterly compelling. The movie is ell balanced with moments of suspense, romance, tension brutality, and levity. The most refreshing aspect is the lack of gratuitous sex and violence. I love watching a film that conveys violence, love and hatred without excessive or graphic images. It's set in a university town in the German Alps along the Austrian border. It chronicles the rise of the Nazi ethic as seen through the eyes of a Professor, his children and their friends. It gives raw insight into the indoctrination of Nazi youth. It is a great story of love, suffering and cruelty. You will not be disappointed.

• A small Bavarian village succumbs to peer pressure as Hitler ascends to power.

  oneofthefewwithtwo2004-03-23

  The Mortal Storm is one of the few movies which shows the shift in attitudes which occurred among the German people after Hitler came to power. Although innumerable movies have been made about WWII, very few address the issue of peer pressure and its affect on the average, non-Jewish German. As a high school teacher, I have used this film in my classes for its unique perspective, and to demonstrate that peer pressure exists for adults as well as adolescents. Although the actual sets are unrealistic by today's high standards, they are understandable given world conditions at the time of filming, and can actually add to an appreciation of the horror of the war. Viewing this film led to intense and thought-provoking discussion among my students. Any viewer with an understanding of history will undoubtedly find this movie compelling in spite of its technological limitations.

• A storm of emotion

  kmccabe-2003-03-23

  I first saw The Mortal Storm when I was twelve or so and it made a huge impression on me. I've wanted to re-watch ever since and today, twenty-years later, I caught it again. Produced in 1940, Frank Morgan, James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan head a terrific cast. This is a film which makes you think and makes you angry. Yes, it's melodramatic, but so what? It's melodrama in the best sense of the word. This is emotion serving the cause of reason, casting a shining light on darkness. This is a film which still has the power to make you sweat. I'd like to address some of the specific criticisms made in the other comments. Firstly, the film is set in 1933. It opens with the rise to power of Hitler, and visual references to the year 1933 appear in the film (The professor's paperwork in the prison, for instance, is dated August 29, 1933). How much time passes during the film is unclear, it is certainly less than a year, so escaping to Austria WAS still an option. Secondly, the reason the "sons" could be Nazis, despite the Professor being "Non Aryan" was that they were his step-sons, the children of his wife's first marriage. I'm fairly certain that the daughter and younger son DID belong to the Professor, although this is not made clear.