The spoils and utter disruption war creates, especially in the lives of the innocent bystander are dramatically, and believably spotlighted in this sincere Ealing Studios study of two families. At the core of this well produced British drama is the decision that has to be made (and then lived with) by two women over the fate of an orphaned young boy. A lad adopted into a loving German family, who after seven years of parenting - is suddenly confronted by the claims of a Yugoslavian woman who lost her husband and two other children --that the boy may be her lad-- taken from her just after the child's birth.
Beautiful Award winning performances, by Cornel Borchers and Yvonne Mitchell as the two women faced with the heat-breaking decision, are given strong support by Alexander Knox and Geoffrey Keen. These are captured on film by astute veteran Czech cinematographer Otto Heller ('Richard 111 '55) From an intelligent screenplay by respected writer's Jack Whitingham and Richard Hughes, based a true story, it's well realized by director Charles Crichton (Dead of Night '45). Child prodigy French Composer Georges Auric (The wages of Fear '55) supplies the rich score.
Not to be missed by admirers of fine British drama.
The Studio Canal DVD transfer has been taken from a clean original source with fine-grain image and OK sound.
