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Rating:  -
Samuel Goldwyn's excellent but now almost forgotten wartime drama THE NORTH STAR was scripted by Lillian Hellman and directed by Lewis Milestone. William Cameron Menzies was associate producer, Aaron Copland scored some fine Ukrainian-like music with Ira Gershwin providing lyrics. Hellman and Copland were both Oscar-nominated for their contributions as was cinematographer James Wong Howe. The picture received 6 Academy nods in all.
At first blush this appears to be a jolly Goldwyn musical. Happy peasants in traditional garb sing, dance and strum 3-string balalaikas. They play harmonicas and squeezeboxes whenever the opportunity arises. It's during one of these picturesque interludes that a stark future suddenly looms in the form of the German Blitzkrieg.
Bearded Walter Brennan and a slow-moving open horsecart full of kids enjoy a sunny morning filled with smiles, affection and song until a frightening drone is heard overhead. V-formation Luftwaffe planes suddenly bomb their country road. Terrorized people flee into a ditch, but not all make it safely. One man is crushed by a fallen telephone pole and a young left-handed child loses that arm and soon after, his life.
WWII has come crashing in on their little village. A quiet place that's changed little over the centuries is suddenly and violently thrust into the jaws of a modern armored beast. No matter the outcome, these peoples' lives will never be the same. Men armed with pistols and rifles quickly form a cavarly brigade to battle pantzers, machine guns and artillery. The women, children and old folks left behind vow to fight their invaders to the death.
The enemy shows no mercy. Children are strafed in the streets. Others will have their life's blood stolen so wounded Germans might survive operations. Systematic and murderous destruction is appalling, yet these brave people DO fight back! It's a desperate, unforgettable scene in one of the finest war films ever made. Highly recommended.
"North Star" is also available as part of Mill Creek's outstanding HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS 50 MOVIE PACK.
Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.
(6.1) The North Star (1943) - Anne Baxter/Dana Andrews/Walter Huston/Walter Brennan/Ann Harding/Jane Withers/Farley Granger/Erich von Stroheim/Dean Jagger
Rating:  -
After purchasing every available copy of this film on the market, please take my advise -- DO NOT BOTHER!
There is obviously no decent print of this film currently available. Being that it was originally produced by Samuel Goldwyn and released through United Artists, one might assume that MGM/UA Home Video might hold the original negatives (since they appear to have the rights to other Goldwyn films presently). The truth may be that no better version of this film exists, and that would be a damn shame given its historic significance and the place it held in Soviet/US relations at the time it was made.
But until MGM Home Video releases this title (IF they ever do), save your bucks and download it for free off of the Internet. The quality can't be any worse.
Rating:  -
6 April 09 Monday; Hello Amazon.com. I want to thank you for an excellent DVD {The North Star}. Walter Houston plays a country doctor who could of had great wealth & fame, who has to make a command dision. To give life or to take it!!!!!!!!Best/Wishes Charles in So. California...
Rating: -
Here we have Walter Brennan and Dean Jagger leading an all star cast
in a movie telling how brave the Russian people are.
There were several of these early 40's war movies showing
our solidarity with the Russian against the Germans.
The same governments turned on each other just a short time further on.
In a time when the KGB has fallen we still have the CIA:
they are the same sort of beast as these governments
that tell us to love them one year and hate them the next?
There is a lesson here of history.
Rating:  -
I was really surprised by this film in that it is pure WWII gold (i.e. Soviet people are good and Nazi's are bad). No mention is made in any shape or form to the millions killed by Stalin and the irony of it all is that this film is set in the Ukraine; site of the Soviet ordered famine which killed millions of Kulaks (Ukrainian farmers); but then again why would it (Stalin was our ally)?
I was also `very' surprised that Aaron Copeland did the music for this film. There are several actors who went on to earn great fame after this B-WWII propaganda film such as: Anne Baxter, Dana Andrews, Walter Huston, Walter Brennan, Jane Withers, Farley Granger, and many others all of whom became major stars. I highly recommend this film just for the historical (hollywood that is) value - thus earning the 3 stars (if it were not for the above factiods - I'd give it two stars).
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