The Young Mr. Pitt

Robert Donat is of course the leading character here, playing both father and son William Pitt with sincerity and honour, but Robert Morley as the indomitable opposition leader Charles Edward Fox is at least equally impressing. It's a very human film watching one of the most important and famous British prime ministers from the inside, his drinking, his health problem, and so forth, but the times around 1800 are conscientiously caught on celluloid, and Herbert Lom practices his great part as the best Napoleon ever before King Vidor's "War and Peace" 1956. It's a great history lesson with great human insights, and although a propaganda film during the war, as a history cavalcade from the days of George III it is wholly convincing and most entertaining, especially the election scenes.

"The Young Mr. Pitt" is a type of propaganda film that the British film industry made...and made quite well. Instead of filling the movie with evil Nazis, the movie is about another period in time...a period when the British people all banded together to defeat a different tyrant.

The film begins just before the American Revolution and focuses briefly on William Pitt the Elder. There are a few scenes with him and his very young son. Now, the film jumps ahead to just before the French Revolution. Young Pitt now is a member of the House of Lords like his father...and soon he'll be appointed the youngest Prime Minister in British history. The film follows him throughout the French Revolutionary period through the Napoleonic Wars.

Robert Donat is wonderful playing both Pitt the Elder and Younger. And, the film looks marvelous and is very well made. It essentially pushes the viewer toward patriotism as well as emphasizes that although the battle may be long, victory is on the horizon....just like WWII. An exceptional film that is probably much more interesting for British viewers or nuts like me who love history.

The Young Mr. Pitt is a well mounted rather civil wartime propaganda minus the bellicose dehumanization of the enemy, substituting revolutionary France (Vichy ruled during the making) and the Little Corproral (Herbert Lom) as the latest megalomaniac in search of world domination.

The son of a former prime minister, Pitt (Robert Donat) is given the position by the flaky King George lll (Raymond Lovell) but faces heavy opposition in Parliament from the likes of James Fox (Robert Morely). His greatest enemy though is on The Continent and he is tasked with trying to get the British people up to speed on this threat while facing strong opposition at home.

Donat is spot on noble as Pitt whether passionately speaking on the house floor or in private conversation, his oratory avoiding bombast, exuding sincerity. There's a nice foppish turn from Morely and a discombobulated one from Lovell while Lom and Albert Lieven as Talleyrand fill the iniquity bill.

Directed a decade before his halcyon period of superb suspense films, Carol Reed's direction is hamstrung by a contrived romance (Pitt was a lifelong bachelor) as the film remains respectful and at times cloying but remains steadfastly patriotic from end to end, hence, mission accomplished.

Donat lived only a couple of miles from where I live.The house has a blue plaque and a covered drive to save him him from adoring fans.This is a typical wartime biog,when you see Napoleon, see Hitler.The film covers a lot of ground and has a linking narration. This obviously makes it rather episodic. Robert Morley is good as Charles Fox.

I have no idea how a film starring the accomplished Robert Donat and a superb supporting cast could be disappointing, but it was. The film seemed to move in fits and starts, with Donat and Morley jabbing for 15 rounds. Napoleon was more energetic than either of them. He was well-played by Inspector Clouseau's boss, Herbert Lom.

We follow the rise of young Mr. Pitt, who ages rapidly into poor health and premature retirement during the conflict of England and France during the Napoleonic period. During this time, the US was a staunch ally of France, which was a major reason for the War of 1812.

We follow the victories of Lord Nelson on the seas, but there is no mention of Cromwell or Waterloo. The film was understandably talky (as that is what politicians do), but a few more examiniations of the military engagements would have been much more interesting.