Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Having watched a movie about Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett, I might as well watch a movie based on a play by Hellman and adapted by Hammett. OK, that wasn't my thought process when I picked it out. More likely I just wanted a vintage Academy Award nominee that wasn't unpopular these days. From the title, I had guessed a war flick, but while it is set during a war, there are no soldiers or battle scenes.

Sara (Bette Davis), an American, is married to Kurt (Paul Lukas), a German. In 1940, they and their three kids take a roundabout trip from Europe to the U.S., paying a visit to the ritzy D.C. home of Sara's mother, Fanny (Lucile Watson), and brother, David (Donald Woods). They confide to their hosts that Kurt has not worked as an engineer lately, because he's been too busy helping resistance against Nazism. Now they hope to find sanctuary, at least for the less politically active family members. But one "friend" of the family, Teck (George Couloris), is liable to find out and tell the wrong people if not given a selfish reason to keep mum.

In the course of 114 minutes, not much happens for a plot beyond what I say above. That's especially disappointing in a story of intrigue. I suppose part of the problem (from a cinematic standpoint) is that Nazis and their collaborators apparently didn't have as strong a secret presence in the U.S. as they supposedly did in the U.K. Even Teck isn't a sympathizer, just a greedy opportunist. And Teck's German contacts wouldn't dare attack Kurt before he returned to Nazi territory.

Indeed, much of the time, WotR feels less like a thriller than like a wannabe comedy. The three kids, having English as a second language, make observations about their new homeland in a clipped, stilted manner. The youngest (Eric Roberts) especially comes across as a budding professor; he'd be annoying if he weren't endearing. But this isn't really played for laughs. The point is that the family's risky lifestyle has induced them to act more grown up than their peers.

Perhaps closer to comedy are the segments in which Fanny is running the mansion. She's demanding, and the servants know that she doesn't always make sense. (I added the "politically incorrect" tag just to be safe; the servants are Black, after all.) Still, she provides no levity during tense occasions.

The film remains strongest when most serious, as evidenced by the honors Lukas earned herein. Kurt is a highly principled fellow, but that doesn't always make it easy for him to do what he deems right. You may well disagree with his actions while agreeing with his cause. I'm undecided myself.

As glad as I am for another '43 Hollywood tale that recognizes Nazi brutality, it's hardly in the same league as Casablanca (high bar, I know). There's unrealized potential. I kinda wish Hammett had hammered the script more into something tight. Or maybe a seasoned director would have made the difference. Whichever, I won't begrudge WotR its awards and nods.