Film Review: Hope and Glory (1987)

(source: tmdb.org)

War is hell and this is something most sane people tend to agree with. For some people, however, war can be fun or at least source of nostalgia many decades after the fact. It helps if such persons aren’t exposed to the war directly or if they lack ability to properly grasp the true meaning of such events. This happened to famous British film maker John Boorman during his childhood, which would later serve as an inspiration for his 1987 semi-autobiographical period drama Hope and Glory.

Protagonist of the film, narrated by Boorman, is Bill (played by Sebastian Rice-Edwards), young boy who lives in London suburb with his middle-class family. The plot begins on September 3rd 1939, when his family, while listening to the radio, learns that United Kingdom has declared war on Germany, thus becoming embroiled in Second World War. As months go by, family is slowly adapting to wartime conditions. Bill’s father Clive (played by David Hayman) joins the Army, leaving his wife Grace (played by Sarah Miles) to take care of Bill, his younger sister Sue (played by Geraldine Muir) and older sister Dawn (played by Sammi Davis). The family has to deal with blackouts, food and supply rationing and other deprivations, and things get even harder when London becomes target of German air raids. Dawn falls in love, gets pregnant and marries Canadian soldier Bruce (played by Jean-Marc Barr). Bill’s home survives the bombing, but gets destroyed by fire, forcing the family to relocate to countryside and spends idyllic summer at home of Grace’s eccentric father George (played by Ian Bannen).

Hope and Glory is often considered to be Boorman’s best film. It was met with great critical acclaim and won Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. One of the reasons for its success is the subject matter, which is related to what many Britons considered to be the shiniest episode of country’s history, when Britain, in the first years of war, stood alone against Hitler. Boorman, however, instead of praising heroic feats of his countrymen, depicts those events as a comedy. And it is done in realistic and convincing manner, through the perspective of a young boy who sees war as an exciting adventure. For him the night bombing raids provide opportunity to watch “fireworks in the sky”, while bombed out houses and building are used as playground by him and other boys. Bill doesn’t understand causes of war and what the stakes are for his country; the closest thing to putting the plot in broader context is a humorous scene in which tyrannical schoolteacher (played by Barbara Pierson) points to “pink bits” marking the British Empire on a world map and tells that the war is about preserving it. Bill’s inability to properly understand adult topics is common source of humour in the film, and that includes sex; this is shown in the scene when Bill confronts his older sister’s relationship with Bruce. While film doesn’t shy away from showing death and destruction, the general tone is mostly humorous while the story maintains realistic approach. This is best embodied in one of the most memorable endings in history of British cinema.

Boorman has based the film on his own recollections, and that reflected in the narrative structure that resembles Fellini’s Amarcord. Instead of firm conventional plot, this film shows series of sometimes loosely connected vignettes. Unlike Fellini, who insisted on sometimes grotesque artificiality, Boorman goes for the realism. Hope and Glory featured one of the most expensive sets in history of British cinema, used for depicting typical London neighbourhood before and after being subjected to German bombing. Effect of nostalgia on someone’s memories is shown through cinematography by Philippe Rousellot which insists on bright colours and creates attractive images, so different from so many films showing everyday life in Britain.

Boorman’s great asset is also the diverse and talented cast. Child actor Sebastian Rice-Edwards is very good in his role, while Sarah Miles is very convincing as his long-suffering mother who tries to do the proper thing, but sometimes slips when madness around her becomes too much. Sammi Davis is great as the family’s “wild child”. The best performance belongs to Ian Bannen as curmudgeonly grandfather who, despite ability to embarrass his family while drunk, wins both Bill’s and audience’s sympathy. In the end, Hope and Glory is a very good film that shows how certain period of history can be both dark and shiny, while being source of comedy at the same time. In 2014 Boorman directed a sequel, set a decade later, under title Queen and Country.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)