
At the outbreak of the World War, American women from all walks of life join a volunteer nursing outfit in France. Some volunteer out of a sense of duty while others travel to France because that's where all the men are. The nurses are surrounded by death and disease and must sacrifice their own comfort and safety in service of the wounded men who need them. The soldiers, so far from home and facing an uncertain future, are desperate for female companionship, but not necessar... (Full plot summary below)
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At the outbreak of the World War, American women from all walks of life join a volunteer nursing outfit in France. Some volunteer out of a sense of duty while others travel to France because that's where all the men are. The nurses are surrounded by death and disease and must sacrifice their own comfort and safety in service of the wounded men who need them. The soldiers, so far from home and facing an uncertain future, are desperate for female companionship, but not necessarily the kind of romance the nurses are hoping for. Pretty young Joy hits it off with Robin, a fellow New Yorker, while no-nonsense Barbara tries to fend off the advances of Wally, a cocksure young flier. Joy's wartime romance takes an unexpected turn, with serious consequences, and Barbara reconsiders her romantic notions when Wally is sent on a dangerous mission.
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| User ReviewAntonius BThere are some redeeming features of this movie, made a little over a decade after WWI ended. It tries to show the cruelty of war and the transience of our little lives, and makes a case for grabbing now for the brass ring, not taking anything for granted. In doing so, it also tries to weave in war-time romance, and I think therein lies its weakness, especially in the first half of the film, where that takes too much of the emphasis. You'll also have to get through some pretty silly scenes early on, such as water getting spilled on one of the nurses a couple of times while they're all cleaning up a building which will be used as a hospital. June Walker turns in a decent performance and Anita Page has a nice scene when she loses out while the hospital is being shelled, but Robert Montgomery and Robert Ames are smarmy and seriously annoying for most of the movie. It's irritating to see their characters continue to pursue the nurses even when it's clear their attentions are unwanted, and it rings false to see them so chipper doing so when, for example, when Montgomery hears of a friend having just died. In another scene, Montgomery ties a rope around Walker's bicycle so that he can give her a fast tow with his motorcycle, and turns around and smiles when she crashes. It gets a little better when Montgomery makes his case for being up-front about his desire for a night of pleasure since he may die on a mission the following day, and when Ames lies wounded on a hospital bed and has to express his true emotions. For me, though, it's too little too late. The film needed more gravitas and grit given the setting, and Montgomery and director Edgar Selwyn failed to set the right tone. |