Watch on the Rhine

Starring: Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lucile Watson, Beulah Bondi, George Coulouris, Donald Woods, Henry Daniell, Eric Roberts, Donald Buka
Directed by: Herman Shumlin
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama
1943

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Bette Davis) and her German husband (Paul Lukas) return to the United States, are threatened when an unscrupulous acquaintance (George Coulouris) threatens to reveal a dangerous secret.

Review:

Tim: Watch on the Rhine is a surprising movie in many ways. Some of those are really good surprises, some of those are unfortunate ones. This isn't the movie I expected when I sat down. When you add it all up- the good and the bad- I'd consider this a solid but not quite remarkable movie.

This film was adapted from a popular stage play that ran from 1941-1942. Many of the film's cast members originated their roles from Broadway. I suppose that's fine, but I always feel it's a little unfair when an actor wins an Academy Award for a role they first played on Broadway. Still, within the confines of this film, the cast is fairly strong. Bette Davis headlines the film although it's not an enormous role. She thought it was more supporting, but I'd probably put her as a lead. She gives a good performance- there's a few moments where she truly shines. Paul Lukas co-starred in the film and he received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance here. I have to say I was a little surprised he won. Yes, his performance is good, but it's a restrained, quiet performance. He does have some spectacular moments towards the end of the film. Those are likely what convinced voters of his worthiness. He did have the opportunity to play this role on Broadway, so you would expect him to be good. I felt like he was strong in the role and I'd agree he deserved a nomination, but I'm a little surprised he won.

The supporting cast was more uneven. You had an especially strong performance from Lucile Watson, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. I thought Watson was pretty incredible- she seemed so believable in her role. I loved her performance. George Coulouris was strong as well. You then had the three kids, whom I have to admit I just did not get. I understand they speak very proper and English isn't their first language, but none of them seemed real or believable in the least. They seemed uncomfortable and forced and they were a very weak aspect of this film. Maybe there was a very good reason for how they were portrayed, but I believe there was a disconnect there. I also thought Donald Woods was fairly weak as well.

Now, I do blame a lot of the acting woes on the cast- they have to take responsibility for weak performances. However, a lot of blame has to rest on Director Herman Shumlin. Shumlin was making his directorial debut and it shows. He had a wonderful script, some strong cast members, but in the end, the movie was too big for him. Yes, he did a good job and delivered a solid movie, but this could have been a great film. It could have been a lot better than it was. A lot of that rests with Shumlin.

Now, I certainly don't want to condemn Shumlin too strongly, because he does good work here. The culmination of the film is actually quite strong. I love how you had this very dramatic, life altering event that takes place in the most unlikely of places. This movie is a slow boil. While I wish some of the earlier scenes were more compelling, it does reach a fever pitch at the end. That was very appreciated.

Watch on the Rhine isn't the movie you might expect. I certainly see why audiences in 1943 would get caught up in this patriotic, anti-fascist movie. I'm all for anything that condemns the NAZIs. The movie is a worthwhile drama and I would certainly recommend checking it out. However, the film has some real flaws that prevent it from reaching its full potential. The movie's biggest claim to fame is Paul Lukas bringing home the Academy Award, which I still don't feel was 100% deserved. Still, you can do far, far worse than sitting down to watch this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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