My double bills# 20 Went the day well? & Pastor Hall

Two war time releases showing how individuals stand up against the Nazis The everyday person fights the Nazis in their own way. Both films have a subtlety and appeal that has not been dulled over the years. While World War 2 raged, these movies gave a boost to the cinema going public in a different way to movies of the time depicting the heroics of the armed forces.

Went the day well ?1942
Made in 1942, when the possibility of a German land invasion of Britain seemed all to real to the citizens of England, this movie was originally intended as  propaganda . Directed by Cavalcanti , it has managed to maintain its power in the years since. The story revolves around a group of soldiers arriving in a small British town with orders to be interred there for a period. The townspeople are happy to have them, until they discover that the soldiers are in fact German spies. With no help in sight, the people find that they themselves will have to fight back against the Germans. This they do in such a way as to suggest that their normality hides a sense of injustice and they are more than prepared to stand up for themselves.Went the Day well? transcended its wartime propaganda purposes to become a classic of British film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYKf4bJm86w

Pastor Hall 1940
Directed by Ray Boulting in 1940 Pastor Hall is based on the true story of a pastor who was sent to Dachau concentration camp for criticizing the Nazi Party. In the 1930s, a small German village is taken over by a platoon of Storm troopers loyal to Hitler. The SS go about teaching and enforcing 'The New Order' but the pastor, a kind and gentle man, will not be intimidated. While some villagers join the Nazi Party. going along with things, hoping for a quiet life, the pastor takes his convictions to the pulpit. Because of his criticism of the Nazis, the pastor is sent to Dachau concentration camp. The dignity of the main character to stand up and be counted makes this film a sombre experience. It also shows again the ability of the average person to stand up against whats wrong.

Went the day well? has undergone a restoration and is currently on release. Pastor Hall is harder to track down, seldom televised but is out there on DVD.