You can always tell if a film has merit but the persistence of it's ideas. Filmmakers, like other artistic professions often unashamedly borrow from one another. If those ideas can further evolve and grow, then the original source of the idea has done it's job well. Indeed 'creative borrowing' is not just limited to film as the poet TS Eliot noted, "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal." However, we should never forget the source of the borrowed/stolen ideas. Many people will remember the World War 2 classic 'The Eagle Has Landed' Directed by John Sturges (of 'Magnificent Severn' and 'Great Escape' fame). The film was based on the novel by Jack Higgins and written for the screen by Tom Mankiewicz. It's the tense story of an undercover German special forces unit who impersonate British soldiers in order to get close to and assassinate Winston Churchill, the British wartime leader. The idea however can be traced to an earlier film from 1942 called 'Went the Day Well?'. This also is the story of an undercover German unit landed in Britain. However the setting is (and was) when Britain faced invasion by the forces of Nazi Germany.

The Germans featured in the film are the advance party of the invasion army attempting to prepare for the main force. They find a village devoid of troops near their objective and proceed with their mission. Before long they are discovered by the vigilant villagers and a nasty guerrilla war breaks out. What's remarkable about this film is the unexpected intensity of the action. Often the drama is claustrophobic and centred round quaint villagers who would normally be serving cream teas. The narrative sees them transformed into vicious partisans. Also of note is that it's the women of the village who emerge as the main aggressors - thinking nothing of using both rifle and kitchen knife as they fight tooth and nail. This may be down to the unusual presence of a female co-screen writer, Diana Morgan or the vicious portrayal of warfare may be related to invasion anxiety that Britain felt at this time, to quote T S Eliot once more, "Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity."

Went the Day Well?: The Facts

The film serves as a good example of how to explode the action in the narrative. There is a steady increase of tension to the viewer as we see the progress of the disguised Nazi soldiers, then suddenly the Germans are discovered and the drama into vicious fighting. The director, Alberto Cavalcanti, re-iterated the frenzy of the village natives in an interview with Sight and Sound magazine in 1975, "People of the kindest character, such as the people in that small English village, as soon as the war touches them, become absolute monsters."

Much of the style is similar to many of the war films of that period; the camera is fairly static, the dialogue arrives at well paced intervals etc. For such a portrayal of British life it's interesting to note that the director was the Brazilian born and as well as working in the UK, worked in France and his native Brazil. One review noted, "Something of a public information film, director Alberto Cavalcanti's aim here is to awaken natives to the danger posed by fifth columnists. In simple terms, his message is that you should trust no one." However there is a sense of comradeship amongst the villagers as they battle the enemy on their home turf. It is this feeling of the defence of the nest and the approach of war that makes 'Went the Day Well?' such and interesting film.

Further Information

Went the Day Well?
Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Went_the_Day_Well%3F

A tense and action packed World War II film from Ealing Studios and made during the conflict it portrays.