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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Genres:

Documentary | War

---

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.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Featured in John Huston War Stories (1999)

User Reviews

John Huston's Let There Be Light is quite compelling in showing some surviving veterans' period of adjustment back to civilian life

In honor of Memorial Day which was yesterday, I watched the first two of John Huston's World War II documentaries, Report from the Aleutians and San Pietro. Now I've just viewed a restored version of Let There Be Light, which explored the psychological effects of war veterans that survived those battles being treated in a hospital, on the National Film Preservation Foundation site on recommendation of Leonard Maltin on his. One couldn't walk, one couldn't talk, and then there was an African-American one whose only solace came when he got something delivered to him from his girlfriend back home. Whether his skin color had something to do with his social reticence, I don't know but since the military was still segregated then, it couldn't have helped. Though it should also be noted that the place he stayed at was integrated. John's father Walter Huston provided wise narration as written by his son and Dimitri Tiomkin provided a score that didn't dominate too much of the proceedings. This film, made for the Army, might have been too realistic for them which resulted in it being kept from the public until 1980, but today it may have been a little easy solution-wise since there's no one depicted as not having been cured by the end though the Hustons make sure you know that it does take time for that. Anyway, Let There Be Light is essential viewing for anyone curious about what some veterans who survive go through in trying to go back to a normal life. They certainly deserve out utmost thanks for even braving it out in the first place!