Bombe su Varsavia

Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid both were very good actors, but very often they were either cast as either supporting actors or starred in smaller and less prestigious films. Here, however, Warner Brothers put both of them in a top film and gave them both a chance to shine--and they were more than up to the task. In particular, Lupino was lovely. Her performance was strong but also with a lot of style--she really was in her element here.

The film begins in the mid-late 1930s in Poland. Ida and her boss (Mary Boland) are visiting the country to buy antiques to take back to Boland's business in England. Shortly after the story begins, a local nobleman (Henreid) meets Lupino and is obviously smitten with her. When he asks her to marry him, there is a bit of a scandal within the family--after all, she is just a commoner. This romance and its repercussions make up the first 2/3 of the film.

At the same time, there are small hints here and there about the upcoming invasion of Poland by the Nazis--something with which audiences of 1944 would have been well acquainted. Eventually, the Nazi hoards invade and Henreid is called to active duty and the inevitable conquest begins.

Overall, there is a lot to like about this film. As I said above, the acting is very, very good. Plus, Henreid and Lupino are ably assisted by various supporting actors that also rise to the occasion. The direction and cinematography are also first-rate. These factors, combined with a good story, make for a very good film--a propaganda film with greater depth than usual and which is still very watchable today.