Let There Be Light (1946)

The final entry in a trilogy of films produced for the U.S. government by John Huston. This documentary film follows 75 U.S. soldiers who have sustained debilitating emotional trauma and ... See full summary »

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

John Huston

Stars:

Walter Huston

1 win.

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Walter Huston	...	Narrator (uncredited)

Storyline

The final entry in a trilogy of films produced for the U.S. government by John Huston. This documentary film follows 75 U.S. soldiers who have sustained debilitating emotional trauma and depression. A series of scenes chronicle their entry into a psychiatric hospital, their treatment and eventual recovery.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | psychiatric hospital | depression | u.s. soldier | trauma | 

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Genres:

Documentary | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Es werde Licht!

Filming Locations:

Edgewood State Hospital, Commack, Long Island, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

U.S. Army Pictorial Services

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A controversial work at the time, this film was suppressed by the United States government for over thirty years after it was produced.

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Quotes

Unnamed Soldier: I believe, in your profession, it's called 'Nostalgia'.

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Connections

Featured in John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick (1989)

User Reviews

Compelling and uplifting documentary, beautifully photographed.

Demobbed solders with mental problems are admitted to a hospital; the camera films them from their induction through to their eventual 'cure' and final departure back into mainstream America. This compelling and uplifting documentary, beautifully photographed, was banned for over 30 years. The US war department in its wisdom apparently insisted that the content be translated into a feature film, the name of which escapes me. Whether or not the events before the camera were staged or not, there can be no doubt as to the integrity of director John Huston in letting the characters 'write' their story. Although rarely seen, this documentary is well covered in a 1990s documentary, JOHN HUSTON: WAR STORIES.