Despite Mortal Storm's numerous flaws and its unintentionally laughable opening narration (which came across to me as being almost lunatic), this film still manages to deliver a powerful anti-Nazi message that packs a punch, even when viewed today, 74 years later.
Considering that back in 1940 the USA was not yet involved in the war that was raging away in Europe, I'm quite surprised that MGM Studios actually went out on a limb and released a film of this one's nature, which clearly paints a very negative picture of the gloom & doom regarding the rise of The Third Reich in Nazi Germany.
Is it any wonder that after the infuriated Adolf Hitler viewed Mortal Storm he promptly ordered his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, to have all films produced by MGM banned throughout Germany?
Set in 1933 (the year Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany), Mortal Storm's "swastika-in-your-face" story of escalating emotions, blind intolerance, family betrayal and Nazi loyalty takes place in a small Bavarian university town situated at the base of the Alps.
The action of Mortal Storm's story focuses in on the well-respected and well-to-do Roth family whose head of the household is a greatly admired professor at the Bahnhoff University.
Once Hitler is placed in supreme power this, in turn, gets the "party-loyalty" juices flowing amongst the young, adult males throughout this once-quiet town. (Never do we ever see any women joining in on this fanatic political movement)
Needless to say, all of this turmoil quickly begins to sever the close-knit ties that had previously held the Roth family (as well as many others) together.
I think that it's interesting to note that neither the word "Jew" nor "Nazi" were ever spoken in this film.
And, finally - When it came to Mortal Storm's cast, I, personally, thought that both James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan were clearly unconvincing and not at all suited for the dramatic demands of their parts.
On the other hand, the one performance that I consider to be something of a standout was that of Robert Young as Fritz Marberg, the zealous yet tortured young student who finds himself torn between his loyalty to his friends and his fanatical allegiance to Nazism.
All-in-all - Mortal Storm, which was filmed in b&w, was certainly well-worth a view.
Considering that back in 1940 the USA was not yet involved in the war that was raging away in Europe, I'm quite surprised that MGM Studios actually went out on a limb and released a film of this one's nature, which clearly paints a very negative picture of the gloom & doom regarding the rise of The Third Reich in Nazi Germany.
Is it any wonder that after the infuriated Adolf Hitler viewed Mortal Storm he promptly ordered his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, to have all films produced by MGM banned throughout Germany?
Set in 1933 (the year Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany), Mortal Storm's "swastika-in-your-face" story of escalating emotions, blind intolerance, family betrayal and Nazi loyalty takes place in a small Bavarian university town situated at the base of the Alps.
The action of Mortal Storm's story focuses in on the well-respected and well-to-do Roth family whose head of the household is a greatly admired professor at the Bahnhoff University.
Once Hitler is placed in supreme power this, in turn, gets the "party-loyalty" juices flowing amongst the young, adult males throughout this once-quiet town. (Never do we ever see any women joining in on this fanatic political movement)
Needless to say, all of this turmoil quickly begins to sever the close-knit ties that had previously held the Roth family (as well as many others) together.
I think that it's interesting to note that neither the word "Jew" nor "Nazi" were ever spoken in this film.
And, finally - When it came to Mortal Storm's cast, I, personally, thought that both James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan were clearly unconvincing and not at all suited for the dramatic demands of their parts.
On the other hand, the one performance that I consider to be something of a standout was that of Robert Young as Fritz Marberg, the zealous yet tortured young student who finds himself torn between his loyalty to his friends and his fanatical allegiance to Nazism.
All-in-all - Mortal Storm, which was filmed in b&w, was certainly well-worth a view.