‘You ask me to bow down to the forces of evil here in this House of God?‘
When going into a wartime propaganda film, there will probably be a few preconceived notions about what that film will contain. Cups of tea. Stiff upper lips. A sleepy English village. What you might not expect is a frank depiction of ruthless violence…
A group of German paratroopers disguised as British soldiers descend upon the fictitious village of Bramley End and are met by a typically welcoming ensemble cast of initially ecstatic villagers. Reverend Ashton (C.V. France) is falling over himself to offer some good, old-fashioned British hospitality. Mrs Fraser (Marie Lohr), the Lady of Manor, is just as welcoming. Only Nora (Valerie Taylor), the vicar’s daughter, has any misgivings, and even they are seemingly easily explained away. The German soldiers are led by Kommandant Ortler (Basil Sydney) in cahoots with the treacherous squire, Oliver Wilsford (Leslie Banks).
Now, this being a propaganda film, much-lauded director Alberto Cavalcanti presents us with an idolised version of English village life. Surprisingly, a cricket match never breaks out on the lawn, but only because everyone in the village is too busy either sacrificing themselves for the greater good, constantly offering to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, or making everyone a cup of tea. Hell, even Bill Purvis (Edward Rigby), the village poacher, is very much a poacher-with-a-heart-of-gold (unless you happen to be a rabbit). This constant positive portrayal of village life could become cloying in lesser hands, but Cavalcanti’s assured direction and the wide-eyed authenticity of the talented ensemble cast ensure that Went the Day Well? never feels too overly sentimental. This is further reinforced by the senseless, tragic nature of much of the violence. A group of British soldiers are ruthlessly mowed down before they can defend themselves. A villager is stabbed in the back while attempting to escape. While this is obviously a very old film, (C.V. France, performing in his final film role here, was born in 1868 (!)), the depiction of violence often feels very modern.
One of the film’s many strengths is how fully realised the characters are. It would be so easy to slip into parody or caricature, but I felt like I grew to know the people of Bramley End. It’s impossible not to root for them when you’ve got Thora Hird manning a rifle to keep out the German hordes in the film’s explosive third act. I inwardly cheered when the scheming traitor, Wilsford, received his comeuppance at the hands of Nora.
Went the Day Well? is more than just a dusty relic of a forgotten time. It is a snapshot of how England perceived itself during wartime: plucky, courageous and industrious. The film’s message of hope and unity in the face of evil remains as prescient as ever.
