Superb, if streamlined adaptation of Ferenc Molnár’s much-loved/oft-filmed 1906 novel about a neighborhood turf war between ‘Pre’ and ‘Post’ pubescent gangs (The Boys of St. Paul Street and the Red Shirts) over a vacant lot used as a playground. Moved up in time to play out with the Great War just behind them, the boys have absorbed all the ideals & flaws of military sacrifice, honor and battle, then play them out in reduced scale, deadly, heartrending, serious. Stunningly designed and shot (by Joseph August), only R. H. Bassett’s ‘too-on-the-nose’ music score disappoints. And the boys are all wonderful, a motley corp of unruly, clever, obstreperous kids up for adventure. Stubborn leaders, blind followers, brave fools and losers who’ll tragically prove loyal to a fault. (Ironically, two of the cast would die in WWII.) An unusual film, and very special.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Hard to imagine, but this anti-war parable won something called The Fascist Cup at the 1934 Venice Film Festival. First prize, the Mussolini Cup, went to Greta Garbo’s ANNA KARENINA, and the documentary prize to Leni Riefenstahl/TRIUMPH OF THE WILL.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Covering the same period, but more typical of Borzage, THREE COMRADES/’38, a moody romance of tested friendship in post WWI Germany. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2021/12/three-comrades-1938.html
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