George Bernard Shaw's play about Revolutionary War Massachusetts is in contrast amusing, serious, thought provoking and on occasion, extremely funny. It is 1777, and the British are trying to keep the rebels at bay, hanging those suspected of being on the side of those fighting for the freedom of the colonies. For local minister Burt Lancaster, it's a hard fight to keep his congregation on the straight and narrow, and when the son (Kirk Douglas) of one of the hanged men shows up, it's also a battle for his marriage as Lancaster's innocent but puritanical wife (Janette Scott) finds herself tempted by sin due to the unconventional but charming Douglas. When Douglas is arrested under the assumption that he's actually Lancaster, it's up to the minister to do what's morally right, even if it means sacrificing his own life. General Laurence Olivier and his assistant (Harry Andrews) have opposite views of dealing with the rebels, and at times, Olivier has a smirk on his face, insinuating that he's amused by the unintended insipidness of his own troops.
When the story breaks for a few strange animated sequences (straight out of the "Davey & Goliath" school of puppetry), it seems to indicate the quirky intentions of the filmmakers to ridicule that period in history. While the theme of war and treason is a serious one, you wouldn't know that by the way this is presented. There's a huge tongue in cheek feeling to each of the characters, with Douglas grinning throughout, certainly not loyal to any cause other than himself, and Lancaster going from determined minister to sudden rebel who takes on the British army inside their own offices, hysterically trying to destroy it with the help of a burning log he wants to throw on some explosives while taking on the soldiers trying to stop him.
In a smaller role, Laurence Olivier shows that his general has hidden feelings about his own government, revealing that his feelings for King George III aren't very patriotic simply by saying that he's basing his decisions on facts, not even his own feelings which he'd rather discuss even with the so-called enemy in private. The rarely seen on screen Eva Le Galliene has a tiny part as Douglas's mother, outed from her home by her own son, and is commanding with what little screen time she has. While obviously cut down from George Bernard Shaw's play, it still retains much of his wit and wisdom, and if far from perfect, still packs a punch in certain segments, even with those silly game board pieces acting out the war as they try to keep the colony of Massachusetts from being taken over by American rebel forces.
When the story breaks for a few strange animated sequences (straight out of the "Davey & Goliath" school of puppetry), it seems to indicate the quirky intentions of the filmmakers to ridicule that period in history. While the theme of war and treason is a serious one, you wouldn't know that by the way this is presented. There's a huge tongue in cheek feeling to each of the characters, with Douglas grinning throughout, certainly not loyal to any cause other than himself, and Lancaster going from determined minister to sudden rebel who takes on the British army inside their own offices, hysterically trying to destroy it with the help of a burning log he wants to throw on some explosives while taking on the soldiers trying to stop him.
In a smaller role, Laurence Olivier shows that his general has hidden feelings about his own government, revealing that his feelings for King George III aren't very patriotic simply by saying that he's basing his decisions on facts, not even his own feelings which he'd rather discuss even with the so-called enemy in private. The rarely seen on screen Eva Le Galliene has a tiny part as Douglas's mother, outed from her home by her own son, and is commanding with what little screen time she has. While obviously cut down from George Bernard Shaw's play, it still retains much of his wit and wisdom, and if far from perfect, still packs a punch in certain segments, even with those silly game board pieces acting out the war as they try to keep the colony of Massachusetts from being taken over by American rebel forces.