Dark Journey (1937)

7/10

bkoganbing23 February 2007

One of the first reviews I ever did for IMDb was of The Firefly, the 1937 MGM musical that starred Allan Jones and Jeanette MacDonald. The original book of the Broadway operetta was scrapped for a plot involving espionage agents working for the exiled King of Spain and for Napoleon and they were played by MacDonald and Jones respectively.

It seems as though I may have discovered where the story came from as Dark Journey is in fact based on a couple of real life French and German agents operating during World War I. Both are stationed in neutral Stockholm and serve as conduits for intelligence for their respective governments.

Like in The Firefly both fall for each other and in the end the female uses all her feminine charms to trap the male as the British use a Trojan horse gambit as well as Vivien Leigh's considerable charms to nail Conrad Veidt. What do they do, you have to watch Dark Journey for that, but I have to say it is rather clever.

Dark Journey and Fire Over England with her then husband Laurence Olivier are the films that got Vivien Leigh her first real critical notice. Ultimately in her career which in point of fact has very few films to her credit, it led to double Academy Awards for Gone With the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. Her beauty is stunning in Dark Journey and no hint of the physical and mental problems that plagued her tragically all her adult life.

Conrad Veidt who escaped Nazi Germany was also making quite a mark in the British cinema. His career role there would be Jaffa in The Thief of Bagdad and later on of course as Major Stroesser in Casablanca in the USA. He made a good living playing a lot of Nazis during World War II although he was as rabidly anti-Nazi as they come. He left Germany because he had a Jewish wife. He died way too young and never saw the ultimate triumph against Hitler.

If any of you have seen The Firefly you know exactly what happens to both Leigh and Veidt. You could do a lot worse than seeing both of them back to back.

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7/10

Good spy drama set in WW1

willymax21 August 2020

There seems to be real chemistry between Conrad Veidt & Vivian Leigh in this movie, and that is what makes it so compelling. The cinematography is also rather sophisticated, and the music score is good. Fascinating portrayals of "society" nightlife of the era. The special effects are better than average, and the duel between the U-Boat and the Q-Ship is not something you see every day. Vivian Leigh is simply ravishingly beautiful in this picture, made two years before "Gone With The Wind." But as beautiful as she is, Veidt's performance stole the show for me, and left me wishing he had been in more talkies.

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6/10

Good guy vs Good guy

sol-kay4 May 2011

Warning: Spoilers

***SPOILERS*** Utterly confusing WWI spy drama that's hard to figure out in who working for whom, the German British or French,in the movie. Swiss dress shop owner and fashion designer Madeleine Goddard, Vivian Leigh, who constantly travels back and forth from France to Sweden to get the latest French fashions is not only French but a spy for the hated Germans. On top of all that she, as a double agent,is feeding the German intelligence network Section 8 false information in upcoming French military actions that is costing the Germans thousands of casualties on the Western Front. The fact that Madeleine can get away with all this without her German contacts,in Sweden, not having a clue abut her actions is by far the biggest surprise in the entire film.

While attending a party in Stockholm Medelene meets and fall in love with recently German Army deserter Baron Karl Von Marniz, Conrad Veidt, whom all the ladies at the party are just crazy about. Madeleine's relationship with Baron Karl jeopardized hr job as a double agent for the both French & Germans in that the Baron is not really a German Army deserter but the head of the German Section 8! It's the Baron's job to find the fly in the ointment, or double agent, who's been giving the Germans hell as well as false information that's causing them so much headaches, as well as casualties, on the Western Front.

***SPOILERS**** The film goes on a snails pace with nothing really interesting, except the what looks like May to December romance between it's two stars, until Madeleine is finally exposed by her German lover the Baron as a double agent for the French Intelligence service. All the action is saved for the final few minutes of the movie with Madeline on her way by boat back to Germany to be tried and shot for espionage against the German Government. It's then that fate takes a hand and not only rescues her from the firing squad but also rescues her lover and now enemy,I think?, the Baron from a watery grave.

Whats worth watching in the film is the strikingly beautiful and future two time Academy Award winner Vivian Leigh in her first staring role. Made two years before she was to become immortalized in motion picture history in the blockbuster film "Gone With the Wind" Vivian showed that she already had what it takes to be a movie superstar. As for the refined and sophisticated Conred Veidt he was slated to play the more or less good German in future films about WWII that was just about to brake out and keep him employed in Hollywood playing those parts for the remainder of his movie career that ended on April 3, 1943 when he died of a massive heart-attack at age 50.

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7/10

Quite a clever film when it comes to the spy elements but less so when it comes to the romantic ones

GusF28 October 2015

Warning: Spoilers

Set predominantly in neutral Sweden in 1918, this is quite a clever World War I film when it comes to the spy drama elements but less so when it comes to the romantic ones. Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt are very engaging leads as the French double agent Madeline Goddard and the German spymaster Baron von Marwitz who fall in love. The supporting cast is strong such as the producer Alexander Korda's sister-in-law Joan Gardner, Sam Livesey (Roger's dad who sadly died before the film was released), his daughter-in-law Ursula Jeans, Austin Trevor, Cecil Parker and Robert Newton. However, the fact that practically everyone in the film bar Veidt speaks with an English accent irrespective of nationality and wears civilian or otherwise nondescript clothes means that it is occasionally a little hard to tell which side everyone is on!

That minor problem notwithstanding, the espionage elements of the story are strong but the script is not without its problems. Chief among them is the fact that von Marwitz is supposed to be a somewhat sympathetic character but he does nothing that would serve to make him even remotely sympathetic. For instance, even though he is in love with her, he is perfectly willing to turn Madeline over to his superiors in Germany where she would almost certainly be shot as a spy. British intervention is the only thing that saves her life. While I understand why a British film made in 1937 would be reluctant to depict a German spy in a favourable light, von Marwitz's behaviour does not work in the context of the storyline. It is a more than a little self-defeating, to be honest. If you're not convinced by the romance in a romantic film, that's not a good sign. At the end of the film, she looks after him longingly, clearly hoping that they will be reunited when the war ends. Not a very smart move on Madeline's part, it has to be said. My first thought was this: "Honey, set your sights on the nice one-armed English guy who was not tempted to have you shot." It was particularly annoying as Madeline was otherwise depicted as being a strong character.

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7/10

Multiple twists on a predictable plot, with a final surprise

spcummings21 February 2004

The plot develops with just enough direction and character development to keep a general story in focus. Seemingly standard inter-war spy movie with a beautiful female spy, threatening German spies, murder, and clean cut British agents. The cast is good with Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt playing their roles well. The supporting cast is like many early movies, lots of professionals with good craftwork and little fame. The production is interesting look at the period and the state of movie making. The special effects are simple, but effective for their period. Obviously, in a British film the star will be pure in the end, and can not be a German agent. However, Leigh does a good job of keeping the real situation under wraps for a while. The characters take on depth, but most drop away by the end. Only the main spies from two sides are left in the center, and the romance overcomes the effects of the war. Probably during WW2, the British film industry reflected differently on the end of the movie, but it was in the can. An interesting film: fun to watch Leigh and Veidt, and a good period piece on the politics, morays, and society in neutral Sweden in WWI.

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6/10

The Fog of War.

rmax30482310 November 2013

There's not really much to this amuse-bouche of two espionage agents in Sweden during World War I. The German agent, the sophisticated and aristocratic Conrad Veidt, and the pouting delicate French agent, Vivien Leigh, are both quite good. I don't find Conrad Veidt particularly handsome but he has some properties that seem to appeal to women -- tall, polite, unspeakably rich, unflappable, and speaks with a Continental accent. He wears a monocle too, as if the rest weren't enough. I don't find him attractive but I'd like to be him.

Vivien Leigh is is a genuine stunner. There isn't a plane of her features or an angle of the camera that detracts from her beauty. She can act too. Here, she changes from curt and business-like to winsome and yearning, and she does it convincingly. Years later, as Blanche DuBois, she swooped around dressed in frills and slowly going mad in New Orleans' French Quarter. As a worn-out Southern belle, she was just as convincing. She had the misfortune of suffering for years from a disabling bipolar disorder and finally the tuberculosis that killed her.

The set design is noticeably good, even extravagant in the dining room scenes. They're enough to make any normal man's mouth water -- sitting across from a lovely woman in a fancy restaurant, drinking champagne and dreaming of Aphrodite. Yum.

The story itself left me confused. Let's see. We're most often in Stockholm during the war. There are German spies. There are French spies. There are British spies. And all of them seem to be spying on each other. It sounds practically MODERN. Vivien Leigh is a French agent. But why is she smuggling information from Paris to Sweden of all places? Why does the French spy network in Stockholm give a damn about the next German offensive. And who do they transmit it to -- French headquarters in Paris? And why does Leigh's comic janitor send secret semaphore signals out his window to someone else? When the broth is reduced, you have a tale of two lovers representing conflicting ideologies and the good one wins. "Ninotchka" did it with more flair but the intent, of course, was different. In 1937 no one in Britain was laughing much about Germany or Hitler's shenanigans.

It's in no way a bad movie. Some of the dialog is keen. In the Leigh's boutique, a dresser and a rich man's mistress have a brief exchange. Paramour: "Some men just like to buy a girl everything." Dresser: "With a girl like you, it's easy to understand why." Both the ladies giggle -- and then the mistress's grin turns into a nasty frown. Well, it loses something when it's put into print.

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A wacky trip.

Trajanc11 March 2003

I watched this movie late late late one night and it really caught me off guard. I missed the opening credits and at first thought it was some early Hitchcock movie that for some reason I had never heard of. It has some Hitchcock-esque bits from the snappy dialogue in tense situations, a rich supporting cast, bits in a music hall etc but of course it's not Hitchcock. It's Vivien Leigh, who is massively hot as usual, playing a double spy and falling in love with some creepy German guy. I kept expecting a vaguely handsome, stalwart American hero type to nab her but she actually fell for the German, who was ostensibly a bad guy. I guess 3 years later it would have been impossible to make this film but in 1937 it was ok.

As I said, great supporting cast, solid turn by the leads, nice script and tight directing. unfortunately the love story is not as well rendered as it could have been (their exchanges are a bit too arch for my taste), the suspense never really builds to a crescendo and the effects in the end naval engagement certainly do not hold up well but overall it's still a pretty good film.

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7/10

Off beat pairing makes for interesting Journey.

st-shot28 June 2011

Cinema uber villain Conrad Veidt and delicate Vivien Leigh make for an odd but absorbing couple as spies on opposite sides in this suspense romance. Veidt's nefarious allure and usual commitment to cruelty is tempered long enough to get the attention of Miss Leigh and it gives the somewhat convoluted (she's a double agent) story a suspense that sustains itself up until the final moments.

Madeline Goddard (Leigh) poses as a Stockholm dress shop owner while spying for Germany in neutral Sweden. Baron Karl Von Marwitz (Veidt) arrives in Stockholm to put the war behind him and live an epicurean existence of wine women and song. He also is merely posing. Goddard and Marwitz eventually become entangled and the passion between the two distracts them momentarily from their assignments which is to expose each other.

Veidt and Leigh have some excellent scenes together fraught with suspense and romance as they parry back and forth using charm and suspicion for weapons. In spite of their contrasting stature they display a nice change of pace chemistry with director Victor Seville maintaining a degree of ambiguity with both leads late into the film as they struggle with duty and desire.

There's a rousing gun battle between a sub and disguised transport in the finale with a somewhat schmaltzy climax that hinders the film, but Veidt and Leigh create enough fireworks of their own to make Desperate Journey worth the watch.

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7/10

Some unforgettable moments...

Space_Mafune6 September 2002

but this film is slow and lacking in action to be honest. Nevertheless it has two fantastic leads in Conrad Veidt and Vivian Leigh who are both excellent. Also it has outstanding cinematography and a surprisingly realistic story. There are some unforgettable scenes and moments here but the film does move at a rather slow pace.

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6/10

Confused

daviuquintultimate25 May 2023

Madeleine Goddard is a spy during WWI; she is based in neutral Stockholm, where she runs a (façade) high-fashion shop with frequent contacts with Paris. All this is certain. More uncertain is her nationality (Swiss or, as seems to be stated later in the movie, French), and, above all, which country is she working for. At the beginning it's not clear, then it appears to be Germany. Then it appears not to be Germany: and, funny fact, half the User Reviews in IMDb say she works for France, half say she works for England. I will not try to settle the question: I just wanted to make clear the confusing nature of the plot.

Baron Karl von Marwitz, a German deserter, enters Sweden: he is to become the main boyfriend of Madaleine (she had another one, before, a British one, just to add to the picture!). But wait: he is not a German deserter - we learn as the movie proceeds -, but the number-one German secret service agent in Stockholm! The couple wants to escape the horrors of the war and settle in retirement in some quiet place: Madeleine suggests the French Riviera, but.. no! There he will be on enemy land. Then they agree for Lake Garda, Italy (what?! It's enemy land for him altogether!...).

The question is somewhat settled on high sea, where, together with our heroes, a German submarine, a neutral Dutch ship (that will soon raise a British flag) and some other boats meet... The movie seems to be made in earnest, and it's not bad as for visual and filmic effects: only, it is too unnecessarily complicated. A simpler treatment would have been better. My exact rating would be 5,75: six stars are the nearest approximation.

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5/10

Not the greatest

utgard148 November 2013

Passable romantic spy yarn. Vivien Leigh looks as lovely as ever. Conrad Veidt is good but the chemistry with Leigh is just not there, in my opinion. It's also hard to buy Veidt as a suave ladies man. He's much more believable as a villain. Joan Gardner was the film's biggest standout as the temperamental Lupita. Sexy and alluring, I'm surprised she wasn't a bigger star. She provides all of the movie's oomph and humor, though her role is sadly small.

It's all very dry and serious, which is fine considering the subject matter. I mean, I don't expect a comedy from WWI spy story, especially on the eve of WWII breaking out. However, it suffers from a lack of excitement. The romance is unexciting and passionless. Even the war stuff is unexciting. It's not a great film. However, it is competently put together and the charisma of the leads and the aforementioned Joan Gardner make it worth seeing once. Fans of Vivien Leigh will probably enjoy it more than the average viewer. She does quite well in the part, my other reservations about the film aside.

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10/10

Haunting Vivien, Murky Film

Dan1863Sickles3 November 2003

Vivien Leigh is even better in this film than she was in GONE WITH THE WIND. She has a fragile, hunted beauty which works perfectly for her role as the unwilling spy forced into romantic entanglements and deceptions. The story is murky, but that doesn't really matter. Watch the sequence where Vivien has been marched aboard ship and locked into her stateroom for deportment as an unwanted spy. Using just her eyes and her expression, Vivien does an entire scene of tossing in her sleep, going to the porthole, and lying back down to sleep again, showing every emotion from fear, suspicion, and doubt to acceptance of her own guilt. Then there's an explosion and she sits bolt upright, looking as fragile and unspeakably lovely as a hunted deer. This is a movie where the sheer radiance of the lead actress makes everything else seem dull by comparison.

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6/10

WW 1 Tale with pre-GWTW Leigh

arthur_tafero2 August 2018

Now I know why David O Selznik picked Vivien Leigh for Scarlett O'Hara. He must have seen this film and was impressed by her screen persona and torrid sex appeal. She was a queen of cat and mouse in this film, and would repeat that persona in GWTW as well. As for Conrad Veidt; I have no idea why any woman would be attracted to him in real life or in this film. The second strike against the film was the costuming, which though very fashionable for the 1930s, had nothing to do with actual time period of the film; 1918. With two strikes, however, the rest of the film, the actors and actresses all hit a home run and kept you riveted to the screen for the duration. A true WW 1 spy classic, as good as the legendary WW 1 spy, Mata Hari ever was. Recommended.

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5/10

Dull espionage yarn lacks tension and has miscast stars in the leads...

Doylenf7 September 2010

DARK JOURNEY is a wearisome WWI spy melodrama teaming two wonderful stars, both seen to better advantage in many other films. VIVIEN LEIGH is certainly ready for all of her close-ups but her role is uninteresting even though she's supposed to be a French spy posing as a German spy for the Swiss government.

The plot, as everyone else seems to have said, is confusing and totally lacking the requisite suspense required to keep a viewer tuned in. It gets off to a slow and murky start on the foggy seas and stays slow and murky for too much of its running time.

Surprisingly, CONRAD VEIDT fails to be charismatic as the romantic lead, nor is he as dangerous as he usually is in these sort of movies which comes as a letdown to anyone who admired the Nazis he played in many a war movie. It's probably his least colorful role. Likewise, Vivien Leigh can do very little with her role and reportedly stated that she was disappointed in the script and found it confusing. So did I.

It's all done in veddy British style, circa 1930s, and lacks what might be called the Hitchcock touch. Too bad. Maybe a director of his sort could have made something interesting out of this espionage yarn. Victor Saville fails to give it tension. It has all the suspense of a rubber band about to snap.

It's a yawner. Even Leigh and Veidt (top-billed, by the way), can't save it from sinking.

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BEAUTIFUL AS ALWAYS

randybigham13 October 2001

Vivien Leigh is beautiful and effective in her role as a spy masquerading as a Parisian dressmaker. There is requisite tension and passion in this thriller loosely-based on the real-life affair of couturiere Madeleine Cheruit and a high-ranking German officer during World War I. Another version of the story of the famous designer and her military lover is told in The Proprietor (1996)starring Jeanne Moreau.

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6/10

Curious WWI story - early Vivien Leigh

blanche-29 September 2010

Vivien Leigh fans won't want to miss "Dark Journey," a 1937 film starring the up and coming Leigh and Conrad Veidt. The film takes place during World War I in neutral Sweden, where a Swiss woman, Madeleine Goddard (Leigh) has a dress shop, a front for her spy activities on behalf of - the Germans? Or the French? She becomes involved with a German spy (Conrad Veidt) and is put in danger.

This film is a little confusing - it was hard to tell who was on what side and when. Both Leigh and Veidt are very good, but they deserved a better script.

Not a huge film, nothing like what would await Leigh in the U.S. a short time later. Worth seeing for her.

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7/10

It's not bad

AttyTude027 May 2023

I am always ready to make allowances for old films. Unlike others, I understand that they cannot possibly equal modern films. A film made in 1937 - what's that? 86 years ago? - cannot remotely be the same as modern films. The acting, the techincal aspects, the mindset, what was considered proper and what not, acceptable or not. That's why I have no patience with people who bleat, "it's dated ... un-pc ..." And my favorite, "It's unsuitable for our modern sensitivites." i.e. It's not woke or PC. LOL. Of course it isn't, Einstein. It was made 40, 50 - 80 years ago.

This film, while not necessarily entrancing, is not bad. You might even love it if you like oldies. There is only one thing that I found annoying and distracting. The story is supposed to happen in 1918 ... but everybody, especially the women, is dressed in glaringly 1930s fashion. Even the makeup and the haristyles. They don't even pretend to make it look like 1918. That never fails to annoy me. And the same thing happens in modern films, make no mistake. I've seen contemporary films that are allegedly set in 1960 but you'd never know it judging by the fashion. There IS something called research, you know.

I must admit that I cannot see Conrad Veldt as a romantic figure. Maybe I'm too influenced by Casablanca, I don't know. My bad, of course.

Still and all, I'd much rather watch an oldie like this one, with all its shortcomings, than the garbage Hollyweird relentlessly vomits these days. I mean, if you want to see anachronism on a grotesque level, watch any of the "period" pieces they slosh on us these days. At best you'll get a good laugh.

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6/10

don't like the romance

SnoopyStyle2 July 2020

It's spring time 1918. A passenger ship is stopped by a German U-boat. They start rounding up non-neutral citizens as spies. Madeleine Goddard (Vivien Leigh) avoids being taken and travels to her Stockholm dress shop. She's actually a German spy delivering allied troop movements with her dresses. Former German soldier Baron Karl Von Marwitz (Conrad Veidt) arrives in Sweden. He's seen as a deserter by other soldiers.

I don't buy the romance but I'm more than happy to buy the spy vs spy. Veidt does not look like a romantic lead but he does look like an espionage villain. I like the switcheroo. I just can't buy the romance. I do not ship them.

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6/10

An Anglo-German romancer set during WWI that would have been impossible to make a couple of years later

vampire_hounddog15 August 2020

In 1918, a British woman (Vivien Leigh) runs an exclusive dress shop in Stockholm and travels regularly between Stockholm and Paris. She works secretly as a spy informing the British and passing on bogus information to the Germans. She begins an affair with a German agent (Conrad Veidt) which could compromise her or put her in danger.

Starring a young Vivien Leigh and a typically intense monocled Conrad Veidt, this is an interesting romance - spy story of the variety that would not have been possible to make just a couple of years later. Aspects of the plotting are at times a little confusing, but an overall solid drama.

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6/10

Not much skullduggery (or romance) with these two spies

SimonJack7 November 2022

The stars of this film and the slightly intriguing plot earn "Dark Journey" its six stars. The story is supposed to be based on a true WW I romance between French and German spies. But this film isn't anything special. The performances are mostly routine - with nothing of note or no one standing out. The screenplay and production are quite loose. The sharp breaks that have major changes in scenes are awkward and seem to interrupt the continuity of the story. It reminds one of a stage production with breaks for set changes between scenes. And there's little anything of intrigue or interest in most of the routines goings on - from Madeleine's spy contacts in Stockholm and in Paris, and then the social scenes. There's hardly any sense of skullduggery or espionage. Finally, the romance that develops between the two leads doesn't seem very convincing.

Again, the cast members themselves are the reason for watching this film. While it may have helped their careers at the time, this isn't a film for which Vivien Leigh or Conrad Veidt would be remembered or lauded. Veidt is an actor who often was cast as a Nazi officer, when he had fled Nazi Germany. One interesting I noticed was the Swedish Red Cross Society and its raising of funds for war relief.

Here are some lines from the film.

Madeleine Goddard, "A girl who goes out shopping with a man means to have the whole shop."

Lupita, "Karl, I have got everything I want - have you?"

Bob Carter, "You're gonna be as safe as a church if you do as I tell you. Now, here's the program."

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6/10

Vivien Leigh disappoints, Conrad Veidt excels

robert-temple-112 May 2010

This pre-War film foreshadows the coming renewed conflict with Germany by telling a story of espionage and intrigue involving Germans and the Allies from the First World War, set specifically in 'Spring 1918' for some reason. Conrad Veidt is, as usual, superb as a high-ranking German, in this case Freiherr von Marwitz, the head of 'Section 8 of German Intelligence'. Vivien Leigh is cast as the heroine, a French girl who impersonates a Swiss girl (but who has a British accent, inexplicably) who pretends to be a German spy whilst really being a French spy and working with the British in Stockholm. Yes, that's a bit complicated, but then all the best spy stories are. The main problem with this film is Vivien Leigh. She is just so wrong for the part. You would never imagine from this that she even knew how to act. She is clearly so conscious of her looks and her pert little face looking ever so perfect and her eyelashes and her eyes and the whole 'look at me aren't I beautiful?' syndrome that she forgets she is supposed to be a French spy pretending to be a German spy pretending to be Swiss, and just settles for being Little Miss Cute. It is not at all convincing, and her narcissism is intensely irritating. What a waste for poor Veidt, who has to pretend to fall for her, but since she is so busy falling for herself instead, the lack of chemistry between them is total. With a different lead actress, this film would have been a real gem, but instead it is a flawed gem with a hairline crack running right through it. Still, the film is entertaining and worth watching, and perhaps I am being too harsh on the big-eyed British-Swiss-French-German 'gorgeous pouting' Leigh. However, all these faults which I have pointed out in Vivien Leigh are precisely why she was just right for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND, a character who was vain, simpering, narcissistic, spoilt, stuck on herself, and – well, that's what they call type-casting, folks.

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5/10

It's okay...

planktonrules7 September 2010

Conrad Veidt and Vivian Leigh play spies for Germany and Britain respectively during WWI. Eventually, the two meet and fall in love--a serious problem since they are on opposite sides and SHOULD try to kill each other! The film poses the question of what to do in such a situation--obey your heart or your patriotism.

This film features one of the oddest romantic pairings I can think of off the top of my head. While I love Conrad Veidt and think he's a seriously under-appreciated actor, I just couldn't get over the idea of him having a romance with a young Vivian Leigh. He was older and perhaps too sophisticated---all I know is that I couldn't easily believe this combination. In addition, I am not a huge fan of this sort of film. While it was made pretty well, it just didn't engage me. This is not to say you won't like it--just don't believe anyone who would give this very run of the mill film a 10. The action, acting and direction were all fine--just not all that distinguished and I feel that the film is best described as a decent time-passer.

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10/10

Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt - Fire and Ice

monikgwtw28 June 2010

Warning: Spoilers

Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt - what an interesting and unusual pairing! In my opinion, "Dark Journey" is Vivien's greatest pre-GWTW movie. The script is full of memorable lines, but there are also some great romantic moments between the actors. The combination between Vivien and Conrad is just like having fire and ice in love. It's a palpable, strong, glacial romanticism. Conrad said once: "The one thing I look for everywhere is beauty. I find it everywhere, and in almost every person. A lovely painting, a good book, or music moves me. It has a life of its own." In my favorite scene from the movie, which is the kissing scene, you could see that even after the kiss, Conrad is still holding Vivien in his arms, admiring for a few more seconds her beautiful, perfect, feminine, heart-shaped face, with those two big emerald eyes and the sweet, little lips. He is visibly enchanted by Vivien's unique beauty, as she is telling him "Now, I want you to take me away from my friends and the business, from everyone but you"; and he tells her "That's my dream". This is a lovely, unforgettable scene, in which Vivien and the apparently implacable Conrad Veidt make together a wonderful couple of lovers, despite the differences between them. I would recommend to any fan of the two great actors to watch this spy and romantic film. It would be even nicer if they put back the deleted scenes. The original movie is at least 15 minutes longer than the actual version, of 75 minutes. For example, there was a scene where Karl (Veidt) is trying to seduce Madeleine (Leigh) at the first dinner party they meet. There is a famous photo from that deleted scene with Conrad and Vivien smiling at each other, and clinking two glasses of wine. And this is just one of the many deleted and important sequences from the film. But, the latest DVD version is 79 minutes in length, because it contains more sequences. I was very happy when I bought it, not only because I found some extra-sequences, but also because the quality of the picture and sound was far superior to all the versions I had previously seen. All in all, this is an extraordinary movie and it certainly is among my favorites. I give a 10 to this movie because of Vivien Leigh's unusual beauty and talent, Conrad Veidt's outstanding performance and great charm, because of their unique and fascinating chemistry, because of the interesting, complex and realistic plot,the very good dialogue - many lines are really remarkable, because of the lovely costumes (designed by Rene Hubert) and impressive sets (especially the one at the Grand Hotel), because of the wonderful music score, because of the unforgettable atmosphere which combines love, fashion, war and espionage. If Dark Journey were made in Hollywood, it would've been on the top list of classic movies. Do you need any more reasons?

P.S.: I would appreciate very much if the fan who posted on IMDb the quotes from Dark Journey would contact me at conradveidtforever@yahoo.com

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3/10

Drab spy movie

rose_lily19 March 2013

For a spy thriller—there are no thrills or suspense in this poorly scripted and directed film. None of the espionage operatives appear to be in mortal danger and only demonstrate a tepid apprehension of exposure. The dialogue lacks finesse, wit, excitement or urgency forcing the actors to deliver their lines as drab exposition. The suave, villainous screen persona of Conrad Veidt, usually played to excellent effect, is totally obscured in his portrayal of the German agent, Baron Karl Von Marwitz, who is the head of the intelligence ring. Vivien Leigh is the "traveling" dress designer Madeleine Goddard, working undercover, shuttling sensitive military information back and forth on behalf of the French cause. Her delicate beauty is showcased in too few close-ups. On whole, throughout the entire film, the cinema photographer relies on medium and long shots, cancelling out any possibility of conveying any subtlety of character development in the players. This misstep is especially detrimental to the progression of the romance between the two agents working for opposing sides. The audience gets no comprehension of what attracts one to the other. There is no heat, no longing desire. What do these two "lovers" see in each other? If the screenwriter knew, it certainly isn't on the screen for the viewer to see.

The art production values in this movie are egregiously inept. The story is set during World War I, yet the women are coiffed and dressed in exquisite style epitomizing 1930s soigné glamour.

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4/10

Any Leigh is better than no Leigh, but this just isn't a good film

jem13228 April 2008

Warning: Spoilers

Reading through a few of the comments on "Dark Journey", I'm struck by one reviewer in particular who states that Vivien Leigh is better here than in "Gone With The Wind". Granted, the guy's a big Leigh fan, bit what was he thinking?? I too am a huge Leigh fan (she's my favourite actress), but I am not so biased as to not acknowledge that this is a bad film. "Dark Journey" is probably the dullest film Leigh ever starred in, and definitely the least incoherent.

The film revolves around a British spy (Leigh) falling in love with a German (Conrad Veidt) at the height of WW1. From there on in the plot is extremely confusing, clumsily plotted and of little interest. Directed by Victor Saville, it is obviously low budget, and I don't hold that against the film, but the writing is all over the shop. A less puzzling, simpler screenplay instead of trying to create a huge complex plot would have worked wonders for this little film. Vivien Leigh herself admitted she had no idea what was going on in the film, so how the heck are we meant to know? Veidt and Leigh are pretty good, getting the best out of the material they can, but they just don't work together as a couple (i.e they have no chemistry). Leigh looks gorgeous in the costumes and is pleasingly focused and quiet, yet intense, her professional attitude and lack of posing setting her apart from all the other young ingénues at that point. There are a few nice action sequences in the film, but it's all just so confusing that you'll just want to give up on it.

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