Themes: Traitorous Spies/Double Agents, Double Life
Main Cast: Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Woods, George Coulouris, Lucile Watson, Beulah Bondi
Release Year: 1943
Country: US
Run Time: 114 minutes
Plot
An expansion of, and improvement upon, Lillian Hellman's stage play of the same name, Watch on the Rhine stars Paul Lukas, recreating his Broadway role of tireless anti-fascist crusader Kurt Muller. As the clouds of war gather in Europe in the late 1930s, Muller arrives in Washington DC, accompanied by his American wife Sara (top-billed Bette Davis) and their children Joshua (Donald Buka), Bodo (Eric Roberts) and Babette (Janis Wilson). The Mullers stay at the home of Sarah's wealthy mother Fanny Fannelly (Lucille Watson), who lives in her own world of society get-togethers and can't be bothered with politics. Also staying with Fanny is Rumanian aristocrat Teck de Branovis (George Coulouris) and his American wife Marthe (Geraldine Fitzgerald). To protect his family, Muller keeps his "underground" activities a secret from Fanny and her guests, but de Branovis is suspicious of the mild-mannered visitor. It turns out that de Branovis is actually a Nazi sympathizer, willing to betray Muller for a price. Using blackmail as one of his weapons, de Branovis threatens to destroy all that Muller has been fighting for. To prevent this, Muller kills de Branovis in cold blood. Now technically a murderer, Muller bids his family a reluctant goodbye, heading back to Europe to continue his vital work. If ever there was a justifiable homicide in a motion picture, it was the killing of the odious de Branovis in Watch on the Rhine. Still, the Hollywood production code dictated that a murderer must always pay for his crimes, thus a coda is added, alluding to Muller's death-providing a golden opportunity for a nifty smiling-through-the-tears curtain speech by Bette Davis. Scripted by Lillian Hellman's lover Dashiel Hammett, Watch on the Rhine earned several Academy Award nominations, as well as a "best actor" Oscar for Paul Lukas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although unashamedly propagandistic -- and to modern audiences, at least, sometimes didactic and preachy -- Watch on the Rhine, nonetheless, continues to stir and impress viewers. It's hard to deny charges that Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman's screenplay is melodramatic, or that the authors stack the deck in favor of their point -of-view, or that parts of the film belie its stage origins. However, these shortcomings also add to the ultimate impact of the movie, which carries the power of its convictions to the fullest. If the dialogue occasionally comes across as stilted, much more of it is compelling and moving; the various set piece speeches accorded the characters are filled with the kind of glorious turns of phrase and construction with which Hellman excelled. The movie also benefits from a superb cast. Top-billed Bette Davis is in rare form, turning in a finely nuanced performance that is more restrained than usual, yet still commanding. She makes the most of the opportunities given her in the script, particularly her final tug-at-the-heartstrings monologue. Even better is Paul Lukas, whose weariness is constantly at war with his dignity and his responsibility. He navigates the difficult transitions for his character with admirable ease, and creates a character that fully warrants the audience's depth of feeling. Lucile Watson is quite believable in her efforts to deny unpleasant truths as well as her willingness to fight once she comes to terms with reality, and George Coulouris is appropriately villainous. Despite its flaws, Rhine still packs an impressive wallop. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carl Jules Weyl - Art Director, Orry-Kelly - Costume Designer, Herman Shumlin - Director, Rudi Fehr - Editor, Max Steiner - Composer (Music Score), Leo F. Forbstein - Musical Direction/Supervision, Merritt B. Gerstad - Cinematographer, Hal Mohr - Cinematographer, Hal B. Wallis - Producer, Julia Heron - Set Designer, Edwin DuPar - Special Effects, Jack Holden - Special Effects, Lillian Hellman - Screenwriter, Dashiell Hammett - Screenwriter, Lillian Hellman - Play Author
