Themes: Innocence Lost, Totalitarian States, Fighting the System
Main Cast: Jeffrey Lynn, Philip Dorn, Kaaren Verne, Mona Maris, Frank Reicher, Peter Whitney
Release Year: 1941
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
Plot
Underground is an average Warner Bros. suspenser, given a boost by its unrelenting portrayal of Nazis as verminous scum--several months before America's entry into World War II. Jeffrey Lynn plays an impressionable young European who is intoxicated by the "glories" of National Socialism. Lynn's brother, Philip Dorn, is on the opposite side of the fence as an announcer for an underground Resistance radio station. At first scornful of his brother's activities, Lynn soon learns that Hitler isn't the saint he believed him to be--especially after several of his friends are liquidated by the Gestapo. Lynn belatedly joins his brother's cause and, at the cost of his own life, helps the Resistance thwart a band of fifth columnists. Underground is a solid piece of film craftsmanship, lacking only the big star names that would have made it a box-office hit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
It's shamelessly manipulative and doesn't paint an accurate picture of the German resistance during World War II, but Underground is a crackling good melodrama anyway. Forget about subtlety in the screenplay; Underground was created as a propaganda piece, and its makes sure that its message is in no way missed: There's good, there's evil, and if you can't tell which is which (as Jeffrey Lynn's character cannot), then going to be a terrible price to pay. This simplistic approach negates some of the impact of the film as drama, but most viewers will still be caught up in the proceedings and won't mind too much. Vincent Sherman's crisp, clean direction keeps the story barreling along very nicely, aided by Thomas Pratt's tight, dramatic editing and Sidney Hickox's noir-ish cinematography. The cast lacks star names, but they do quite well, even when their parts are not particularly well written. Lynn is very effective as the dedicated Nazi who finally has his eyes opened, and Philip Dorn is even better as the brother who is dedicated to fighting the evil regime. Kaaren Verne and Mona Maris also score, and Martin Kosleck plays another of his especially vile Nazis with his usual flair. And in the small role of a captured Resistance worker being offered his freedom if he betrays his colleagues, Wolfgang Zilzer makes a definite impression. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
