"Since You Went Away" **** (out of ****) Whenever there is a patriotic holiday I always like to celebrate it by reviewing a movie which represents American values. So in honor of the 4th of July I decided upon John Cromwell's "Since You Went Away" (1944).
"Since You Went Away" is one of the greatest films ever made dealing with life on the home front during World War 2. The other candidates would include a pair of William Wyler films "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), which I have already included in this series, and "Mrs. Miniver" (1942). Both films went on the win the Best Picture Oscar in their respective years. But "Since You Went Away" is a bit different than those films. First of all "Mrs. Miniver" deals with Britain. "The Best Years" tells the story of U.S. soldiers returning home but "Since You Went Away" tells us what happened while they were away. For that reason alone "Since You Went Away" makes for a perfect companion piece. But that may suggest this film doesn't stand on its own, it does.
As I've already said, this film deals with what families went through back home being separated from their loved ones. In this film's case we are dealing with the Hilton family. Anne (Claudette Colbert) is first shown returning from the train station as she has just said goodbye to her husband, Tim (no one plays the character but we see pictures of him. The actor's face they decided on was Neil Hamilton. Some viewers may recognize him as Commissioner Gordon from TV's "Batman". But he was an old actor. Watch him in "Laughing Sinners" (1931) with Clark Gable). Now Anne and her two daughters; Jane (Jennifer Jones) and Brig (Shirley Temple, who came out of a two year retirement) must make certain sacrifices since Tim has went away.
One of the best things about "Since You Went Away" is the values we see on display. Not only was it a different time back then but it seems to have been a different planet. During the war years there was a sense of community. People stuck together. Everyone was in the same boat. Just about everyone had a loved one fighting overseas. Everyone had to make the same sacrifices such as rationing food. Today we don't have that. Today we live in an "every man for himself" world. People don't care about their neighbors. It's part of the values we lost in our modern world.
I've heard some suggest "Since You Went Away" is too sentimental. People didn't really act like that back then. Sure they did. That's what makes me love this movie so much. It gets the times so right. If it were phony audiences of the day would know it, they were living through it. The war had been going on for a little over a year. Audiences could relate to the film. It went on to earn 9 Academy Award nominations. And in my opinion should have won the "Best Picture" Oscar which instead went to Leo McCarey's "Going My Way" (1944) with Bing Crosby. It is a fine film but "Since You Went Away" was the more deserving choice.
Nearly everyone's performance in the film is perfect. I wouldn't dare dream of replacing one single actor. Colbert, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance here, captures the essence of a woman who misses her husband. Sometimes, just by her eyes, we can sense she is daydreaming, thinking back to her happy memories with Tim. Her opening monologue, which takes place inside her head, is priceless. The desperation in her voice and the bewildered look on her face, tells us everything we need to know about her love for her husband and the hard times which are ahead.
Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple both have a sweet innocence to them. This may be the best performance Temple gave as an adult and Jones goes through an amazing transformation from a young girl to a woman, who must confront her own personal tragedies, and witness to Hell of war as a nurse.
But great movies such as this, with their heavy subjects, often try to lighten the load so to speak and give us humorous moments as well. "Since You Went Away" is no exception. The film's lighter moments are offered by Joseph Cotton as Lieutenant Tony Willett, an old friend of the family who constantly makes advances, in a playful way, at Anne. And then there is Colonel Smollett (Monty Woolley) a retired officer who moves in with the Hilton's after they take out an ad looking for a boarder, to help pay expenses. Smollett is a grump old man not use to have young children and pets around. As the film goes on though we find out his bark is not as bad as his bite.
The most tender moments in the film I would say belong to Jones and Robert Walker, who plays Smollett's grandson, Corporal Bill Smollett. They two do not speak since Bill hasn't lived up to his grandfather's expectations and become a great soldier. Bill has joined the army merely to prove himself to his grandfather but along the way falls in love with Jane. In real life Jones and Walker were married. Their scenes together, showing a carefree innocent love in the face of war really did touch me. They plan to marry as soon as Bill comes back from combat. She gives him the confidence he needs to become not only a better soldier but a better man.
"Since You Went Away" could have almost been divided into chapters. It gives us brief episodes of these characters' lives as they wait for the war to end and Tim to come home. Along the way we learn about these people, their hopes and dreams but their fears as well. We find ourselves relating to them.
The film was directed by John Cromwell, not a very well known filmmaker today. But he does have some impressive titles under his belt. He directed "Dead Reckoning" (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937) with Ronald Coleman and "Of Human Bondage" (1934) with Bette Davis. Cromwell is able to keep the film going as a nice pace. The film is just short of three hours but it doesn't feel long. This was considered the second longest Hollywood film of all time, behind "Gone With the Wind", both films were produced by David O. Selznick, who also wrote this film's screenplay, which was based on a Margaret Buell Wilder novel.
Sadly "Since You Went Away" is not well remembered. That is a shame. It may not make the same strong social message which "The Best Years of Our Lives" makes but it has its own charms. It shouldn't be forgotten. As I said the film was nominated for 9 Oscars including "Best Picture", "Best Actress" (Colbert), "Supporting Actress" (Jones), "Supporting Actor" (Woolley) and won one Oscar for "Best Musical Score" (Max Steiner).
With the holiday upon us you will really take notice of the American dreams and values presented in the film. It never felt too preachy to me, even with the soaring patriotic songs playing in the background. To me "Since You Went Away" represent something pure. There is something innocent about it. It takes us back to a simpler time. A time which we all need to revisit now and then. That's what makes "Since You Went Away" one of the masterpieces of cinema.
Posts
