This Land Is Mine
Directed by Jean Renoir
Written by Dudley Nichols
1943/USA
Jean Renoir-Dudley Nichols Productions/RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Warner Archive DVD
Mrs. Emma Lory: Why don’t they bomb Germany, young woman?
Louise Martin: Every factory and railroad in Europe is Germany, Mrs. Lory, until the Germans are driven out.
In Jean Renoir’s universe even the Nazis have their reasons. People ought to fight to the death to stop those reasons from spreading.
Albert Lory (Charles Laughton) is a mild-mannered schoolteacher in an unnamed Nazi-occupied country. His mother (Una O’Connor in a rare meaty role) has him tied around her apron strings via feigned illness, etc. He is secretly in love with beautiful fellow teacher Louise Martin (Maureen O’Hara). Louise is an outspoken patriot who is engaged to George Lambert (George Sanders), the local railway superintendent , who, unbeknownst to her, is a Nazi collaborator and informant. Louise’s brother Paul (Kent Smith) also appears to be very friendly with German soldiers. The mayor of the town works hand in glove with the highest local Nazi official, the smiling and seemingly reasonable Major von Keller (Walter Slezak).
When the school gets orders to rip pages out of its history texts, Albert and Louise cooperate. During a bombing raid, Albert reveals the depths of his cowardice. Then a couple of German soldiers are killed by a home-made bomb. Paul Martin arrives at a dinner Albert has been invited to late. He asks Albert and Louise to say he has been there since before the bombing. They comply. Then the Germans start rounding up hostages, including the beloved liberal headmaster of the school. Albert is next. His incensed mother looks up everyone she knows from the mayor to George Lambert in an attempt to free her son.
Not to spoil too much of the plot but Alfred eventually stands trial for a murder he wanted to commit but did not. His courage now invigorated by the execution of the headmaster, the trial gives Alfred a platform to conduct his defense via a pair of inspiring speeches.
In the universe of this story, the Nazis and their collaborators are basically businessmen who would like to see a better world, one with no unions or unruly children, when the war is over. Von Keller even excuses an act of apparent sabotage because he does not want to have to take hostages. He would like nothing better than to cut Albert some slack. But by the time this is necessary, Albert is having none of it.
This may be the wordiest propaganda of 1943. On the other hand, with Charles Laughton delivering it, tears came to my eyes. Renoir got beautiful performances out of all his actors. O’Connor who usually goes straight over the top has a rather large and convincing turn as the dominating mother and Sanders is touching. It’s not a great film but very interesting. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief for the last twenty minutes or so and can tolerate some beautifully written patriotic speechmaking, it’s worth a watch.
This Land Is Mine won the Academy Award for Best Sound, Recording.
Clip – Charles Laughton teaches one last lesson on The Declaration of the Rights of Man
