Hope and Glory (1987) Reviews

• snapshot of a time past

  the_other_kinsey_institute2002-12-31

  Maybe it's just because of my love for history, but I really enjoyed this movie. I can understand why some may not, since it has a sort of anti-ending and very little actual 'plot.' The film is simply the portrayal of daily life for a London family--a collection of character subplots, basically. It doesn't sound like much, but the film's strength is its characters. Besides the main little boy, there's the overzealous father, the sexually-liberated teenage sister, a hilarious grandpa, a gang of far-from-innocent little boys, and others. Overall, watching this movie is like stepping back in time and sneaking a peek into everyday life.

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• Through the eyes of a child

  Captain Ed2001-01-10

  Undoubtably one of the best movies about "the home front" of WWII, Hope and Glory effectively recalls the child's perspective of living amidst the rubble of the Blitz. The film's strength, in my view, is how people tried their best to maintain their normal lives and customs as their world crumbled around them, both literally and figuratively. The young man playing the central character does a fine job of bringing Boorman's childhood to life. The natural ability of children to adjust to change (but not without consequences) is brilliantly depicted. The "gang" sequences were not only funny but also felt remarkably true, especially the collection of plundered booty and scrap war material. It's just the type of mischief you'd expect from letting the boys run wild through this type of damage. Sarah Miles and Sammi Davis are excellent as the mother and older sister to the central character; their interaction shows the damage war does to relationships and moral values. The highlight for me was the grandfather, however. The gentleman stole every scene in which he appears. The final scenes of the movie show his delight in his grandson in such a novel and moving way that it became almost the film's highlight. I worked with a man who lived in London during the war, when he would have been the same age as the boy in this story. He told me that he considered this movie the best one he'd ever seen on World War II and recommended that I watch it. I've never regretted it. Thanks, Jack.

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• A Funny, poignant, truthful, and enjoyable child's-eye view of London during The Blitz.

  Cecil-B2002-07-04

  Since I first saw it, 15 years ago, a little film in a little theater, I have regarded John Boorman's recollections of life as a grade-schooler during "The Blitz" as astonishing. Over the years I've used the movie to bring to life the very points that Anna Freud makes in her diaries of the "War Nurseries" she ran in Hampstead. While the movie is always entertaining, it nevertheless shows the effects on kids and families of life at home during a war: the separations, the losses, the physical damage, the inflammation of aggressive impulses in normal kids, the loosening of parental control over adolescents, the dropping of the curtains we use to keep kids from seeing more than they ought to. The film is wonderfully English, with customary attention to period detail, and a great collection of eccentric and memorable secondary characters. You've just got to see the geography lesson, featuring a middle-aged martinet school-marm who whacks away at a world map, using her pointer to punctuate her lesson on the vastness of England's pre-war empire. I have seen this movie on video, and can say that it translates well to the small screen. In fact it was created for British TV. See it. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And don't tell anyone--You'll learn something, too.

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• tune in tonight

  bobs-232005-03-29

  Hope and Glory is one of my favourite films and gets a rare airing tonight on satellite's FX UK channel at 9pm. I saw it 18 years ago on its release and numerous times since and it still takes a place in my fav. top 10 of all time. The settings are truly wonderful, the humour as British as it gets and a performance by Ian Bannen that shows what good British acting is all about. His naming of former love conquests at the family Christmas party is one of cinemas funniest pieces of comedy. The cast is perfect and the whole film is a joy from beginning to end. It was deservedly nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and although failed to win would have been my choice. Highly recommended.

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• Tender tale from Boorman

  teddyryan2004-07-28

  John Boorman is impossible to categorize. From his spaced out ZARDOZ to DELIVERANCE to EXCALIBUR, this wildly ambitious director hasn't met a subject he's afraid to tackle. Here, the film maker delves into his past, delivering the story of a boy growing up in WWII England. Directed in a style that is nostalgic and innocent, HOPE AND GLORY displays a brighter side of human conflict. Watching the picture, it is obvious Boorman approached this highly personal material with the utmost of care. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a heavy drama, this is not the place. Many scenes (if you're not in the mood for them) can become a bit difficult. In other words, you're feeling as if you're watching someone's home movie. However, this should not detract from the talent of a true cinematic master, John Boorman. We love you, John Boy. Give us more!

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