England Made Me

Graham Greene's novel becomes somewhat undernourished wartime melodrama, without the scope, vision or substantial budget to credibly expound on its themes. Michael York plays a young ne'er-do-well who comes to stay with his sister and her wealthy fiancé/benefactor in 1930s Germany, just before the rise of the Nazi party. An incredible period in time for storytelling, yet the human drama here fails to ignite. It's interesting but cold, without much emotion or point. Filmed in Yugoslavia (!), the movie does have a handsome look, though it surely would have benefited from a larger budget or authentic locales in order to truly capture the fervor and frenzy of Hitler-era Germany (as "Cabaret" had accomplished just one year before, curiously also starring Michael York). It's a fake, but not a bad one, a picture that does not strive (thankfully) to recreate Concentration Camp hysteria but instead provide more insight into the interpersonal complexities of this time. York is reunited with his "Lost Horizon" co-star Peter Finch, and both actors are fine if generally unmemorable. ** from ****

This film is usually known by the title of Graham Greene's novel on which it is based – 'England Made Me'. However it also has an alternative title of 'Rape of the 3rd Reich'. And that is perhaps more indicative of what this film is about – the lives of several 'ordinary' people in Germany a few years prior to WW2, being affected by the increasing power of the Nazi party all around them.

The central character is Anthony Farrant played by archetypal Englishman Michael York. His sister Kate played by Hildegarde Neil, works for a rich but ruthless and cynical German industrialist Erich Krogh (Peter Finch) in Germany. Having left England for new challenges Anthony meets up with his sister (initially in France) and she then secures him a job in Krogh's company. Anthony later forms a relationship with an English woman he meets in Germany – Liz Davidge – played by 'English Rose' (and famously U.K D.J. Tony Blackburn's ex-wife) Tessa Wyatt. Anthony also forms a friendship with journalist 'Minty', superbly acted as a 'slob' character by Michael Hordern. Anthony sometimes tells the journo perhaps too much – at a time when the Nazis were seeking control of the press – and this forms the basis for the later scenarios in the movie. The final key character is Haller (Joss Ackland); he works as Krogh's right-hand man and plays a central role in scenes towards the end of the film.

This is clearly a lavish production, the photography and sets are superb, and the film budget must have been extensive. The movie also contains a raft of stars. But ultimately it disappoints. The plot often moves forward too slowly (and wavers) and some of the dialogue is cliché-ridden. In my view this movie represents a wasted opportunity – much more could have been made of Greene's novel than this. It's difficult to work out just why it fails to deliver – I note that it was made in Belgrade in the early 70s; perhaps the regime there would not allow the production team the freedom they wanted? It's still a viewable film but don't expect the epic that the cast, budget and BAFTA-nomination might suggest.

This was one of Graham Greene's early novels and certainly not his best one. It has actually the character of experimental improvisation, as if Graham Greene made an effort to write a modern novel with something like James Joyce in view. There is not much of a story, the composition of the novel being something like building up a sort of towering figure of the omnipotent business man Krogh, and the idea was actually inspired by the case of Ivar Kreuger, the Swedish multimillionaire who ended up in a suicide mystery. The whole novel takes place in Sweden.

The film has reasonably enough found it necessary to make something completely different. Instead of a grey and boring diffuse Sweden we find ourselves in Nazi Germany of 1935, when Hitler was still on the rise. Poor Michael York and the beautiful Hilldegard Neil, the chief character of the film, are a brother and sister somewhat at odds with reality, especially in Germany, where Hildegard nonetheless has found a regular position as Krogh's intimate secretary. She brings her brother to Germany to help him along, where they all three (including Krogh, Peter Finch, reliable as usual,) gradually find themselves more and more alienated in the hostile and inhuman Nazi world.

There are some other main figures in the plot, Michael Hordern as a typically Greeneish antihero and shabby journalist on his way down with opportunism for his only comfort, and Tessa Wyatt as Liz, a girl Michael York finds to please himself with, since he can't just stay with his sister. Then we have Joss Ackland as Haller, a kind of henchman of Krogh's to pull some strings towards the end.

So much for the plot, which really isn't much of a story, not even approaching the Kreuger mystery, concentrating instead on Michael York's outsidership hopelessly prompting on honesty, but the main asset of the film is something completely different.

The settings are magnificent, with exotic nightclubs, luxury palaces, enjoyable excursions and things like that, the atmosphere and set-up is genuinely good, It's a very beautiful film, but what makes this film worth while is the music by John Scott, the only thing that saves it. The actors are perfectly good but don't help the meagre story, while only the music gives it some quality of importance.

Peter Duffell has assembled quite a decent British cast here, but sadly he can make little more than an average television movie for his troubles. It doesn't help that it's the totally charm-fee Michael York who takes a leading role as visiting Briton "Farrant" who has come to see his sister "Kate" (Hildegard Nell) who works for the unscrupulous businessman "Krogh" (Peter Finch). This is all happening at a time when the Nazis are beginning to make their presence felt and "Krogh" is aware that getting his money, and himself, out of Germany might now be a good idea. Not long after arriving in Berlin, "Farrant" begins to fall for "Liz" (Tessa Wyatt) and he also begins to realise that his new employer is embroiled in some plotting that has attracted the attention of itinerant journalist "Minty" (Sir Michael Hordern) whose downbeat appearance might just be camouflage - but for what and whom? Never far from the mix is the menacing "Haller" (Joss Ackland) and with there being Nazis around, Michael Sheard also has a part, too! As the plot thickens, though, it also becomes stodgy and the characterisations all distinctly undercooked as the senses of threat and peril are presented in this good looking production, but they are certainly not developed. It's all a rather underwhelming example of style over substance and, for my money, York brings very little to the party beyond being a slightly handsome and softly-spoken man completely out of his depth. Nell and Finch are really only going through the motions, too, and in the end it falls to Sir Michael and Ackland to do what imbuing of the encroaching dangers facing them and the country there is, here. If you are a bit eagle-eyed, you might spot an early outing for Richard Gibson who went on to play "Herr Flick" in the BBC "'Allo 'Allo" wartime comedy, but otherwise there isn't very much to write home about here, sorry,

The problem with this film is that it is so boring that you start noticing so many things that are wrong with the settings and incidentals.

For a start the military parade has the soldiers just executing an ordinary marching step,instead of the goose steps.

All the interiors are very plain,not reflecting art deco,the Bauhaus movement or the Nazis brutalist architecture.

The women's hairstyles and their clothing all are 1970s contemporary. So not for one minute can one believe that this is set in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

There were numerous films set in this era,notably Cabaret all better than this..