The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War (1984) User Reviews

There were many reasons to be in this war, but...

[anghmho · 19 January 2014]

An earlier reviewer gave this film three stars and noted that it was "terribly one-side." Another reviewer, from Spain, gave it one star and pretty much damned it as leftist propaganda.

I, on the other hand, thought it was pretty even-handed. I can't find anything in this film that's inaccurate. Facts: Franco and his mob WERE fascists. They rose against the legally elected government. They were supported by Hitler and Mussolini, who sent their troops, tanks, and their air forces to help Franco win the war. The western governments cut off all supplies to the legally elected government. The government was supported by the people, who were tired of their feudal existence. The government established universal education for the very first time and lessened the power of he church, the aristocracy, and the land owners. I don't think the negative reviewers can dispute these claims. It is true, however, that there was much barbarity committed by both sides.

f you research the Spanish Civil War, you will find that people had many reasons for getting into it, whichever side they chose. This film covers only the experience of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, American volunteers who fought on the side of the government, and the experiences of people who served with the Lincolns.

Interesting footnote: Franco was supported big-time by Hitler and Mussolini, both of whom sent troops, tanks, and parts of their air forces to help him win the war. The legally elected government had no support whatsoever from the U.S., Britain, or France (in fact, they hindered the government) and only piddly support from the USSR. Apart from the USSR, the only other foreign support came from individual people from all over the world who came to Spain under their own individual power to stand up to fascism.

That's what this film is about.

A fascinating and important film of the Spanish Civil War

[Brendan3 · 10/10 · 8 November 1999]

This is the story of The Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the American volunteer force that fought alongside the other international brigades against the fascists in 1936 Spain. The film tells the story of the young men and women who fought there using archival footage as well as interviews with surviving brigade volunteers. The story is true and the cause is greater than anything in recent history. Those that fought, fought for a fantastic cause and a beautiful dream, and their ultimate betrayal by the rest of the world is that much more tragic. This film is the best and most moving documentation of the "poets war" ever made and unfortunately, since the survivors aren't getting any younger, this is also probably the last great film to document their cause. the film informs and amazes. This was a clear conflict of good versus evil and evil prevailed. As a US veteran I only wish I could have been there with them, even though righteousness was destined to lose. That is how noble the cause was and how profound of an impact this film had on me.

The Spanish Civil War - from the viewpoint of the international Leftist volunteers

[jacquesshellac · 3/10 · 19 March 2013]

I saw this video quite a while back, and ended up giving it to an anarchist friend of mine. Horribly one-sided, as so much history on the Spanish Civil War is, but it is a very good source of first hand accounts from actual veterans of the war (albeit all being from one side of it). Shameless Leftist propaganda, and of course the atrocities of the socialists and anarchists are either ignored, denied outright or lied about. But it does give you a sense of the implacable hatreds that made the war so brutal and drag on so long.

If you're interested in the period, it might be worth a look. Just don't expect any objectivity whatsoever.

The Spanish Civil War: A "Noble" Cause Against Religion

[fhonea · 1/10 · 29 April 2009]

The Spanish Civil War was a war against religion and the communist takeover strategies of Stalin, not good against evil as the documentary leads you to believe. The Communists (Republicans) murdered thousands of priests and nuns simply because they wouldn't deny God. They also burned churches and destroyed countless art treasures and priceless religious symbols. Recently 496 of these murdered priests and nuns were beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican. The so-called Fascists were the last hope to keep the Communists from taking over Spain. Many countries were mislead into believing the purpose of the "Noble" cause just as this documentary misleads its audiences as to what was going on in Spain in the 1930's. If it is true that evil prevailed, thank God it did in this case as we would have had another failed communist state on our hands and not the Spain of today. The members of the Lincoln Brigade may have been valiant but their cause was erroneous. No war or any type of violence is a clear case of good against evil but a clear case of subhuman practice, religion or no religion.