Hope and Glory (1987)

Directed by: John Boorman | 113 minutes | comedy, drama, war | Actors: Sebastian Rice-Edwards, Geraldine Muir, Sarah Miles, David Hayman, Sammi Davis, Derrick O’Connor, Susan Wooldridge, Jean-Marc Barr, Ian Bannen, Annie Leon, Jill Baker, Amelda Brown, Katrine Boorman, Colin Higgins, Shelagh Fraser, Gerald James

It may be hard to imagine because we a. have never personally felt the horrors of war and b. the media reports lead us to believe otherwise, but for some children, World War II was a very enjoyable time. British filmmaker John Boorman, born in 1933, for example, known for ‘Point Blank’ (1967), ‘Deliverance’ (1972) and ‘Excalibur’ (1981), remembers his childhood as a big party. As unbecoming as that may sound, when you watch ‘Hope and Glory’ (1987), which he based largely on that period in his own life, you immediately understand.

‘Hope and Glory’ is about nine-year-old Billy Rohan (Sebastian Rice-Edwards). He remembers well the moment the war was announced. The radio his parents (David Hayman and Sarah Miles) listened to was just loud enough to interfere with his play in the yard. Immediately, Billy snaps out at younger sister Sue (Geraldine Muir), to make it clear that he’s old enough to understand what’s going on, but in fact he’s far from overseeing the consequences.

The Second World War is actually a welcome change for Billy and his peers. It’s great to watch the bombing down the road, fireworks on a weeknight! And searching for shrapnel is also a wonderful activity, Billy’s collection is growing steadily. But what really sticks is the absolute feeling of freedom that the children have. No adult to care about them, they are allowed to mess around in the destroyed houses in the neighborhood, sometimes they find something of value or see things that they are actually too young for. That people actually die is of course very bad, but it is also very cool to be the first to know about this. In one scene, the children shout to each other that the mother of a girl nearby, Pauline, who just stands there grieving, died yesterday.

Yet the war is not trivialized. Something is actually at stake, including for the Rohan family. But because ‘Hope and Glory’ shows everything from the perspective of young Billy, you feel like a kid again and you realize how difficult it can sometimes be to grow up.

However, the loss of innocence transcends generations. Even the adults, who initially think that the war will be over by Christmas, make hasty decisions, such as Billy’s mother, who wants to send her children to her sister in Australia and then returns. Other characters, such as Billy’s 15-year-old sister Dawn (Sammi Davis), get into a relationship with a Canadian soldier, or break up their marriage to run off with a Polish pilot.

The entire cast plays to the best of their abilities. Together they create a realistic picture of a working-class family in a London suburb during the Second World War. ‘Hope and Glory’ is a warm, loving film in which Boorman has found the perfect balance between drama and comedy, happiness and sadness, fear and carelessness. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.