The history of the making of "It Happened Here" is pretty amazing. Think about it...Kevin Brownlow was 19 and his friend, Andrew Mollow, 16 when they started making a film. These two completely untrained teens worked, on and off, on a film and completely it about a decade later--with a budget of only about $20,000!! And you'd assume such a project would look like crap--but it doesn't. Using lots of seemingly documentary footage and mostly non-professional actors, they made an alternative history film that looks for all the world like a traditional documentary. The premise--that Germany conquered Britain during WWII. Now I am NOT saying this is a brilliant film or that it's Oscar-worthy material--but considering all it was up against, it's a wonderful film for young filmmakers and film students to watch in order to see what you can do with a minimal budget and lots of energy.
The film begins in England in 1944. Although you see plenty of German soldiers running about, many more of those in authority are Pro-Nazi collaborators--and they willingly take to anti-Semetism and the usual Nazi rhetoric. While this notion offended many when the film debuted in 1966, this was a realistic scenario, as locals did work hand in hand with the Nazis in many countries--such as in France and the Ukraine. According to the film, these local fascists were needed because the war against the Soviets was not going well and they needed all the troops they could spare (just like what really happened in WWII).
The story focuses on an Irish nurse who goes to work with the fascist British government. She is mostly apolitical but over time, she is forced to take a stand--particularly because her job sometimes entails committing atrocities in her role as a nurse. What is she to do? Play it safe and work with the authorities or become part of the Resistance? This is a film whose concept is far better than the actual film--and with good reasons. Because writer/director Brownlow was filming this on the cheap, he used 16mm film and the sound was often quite poor--especially at the beginning. There are also many lulls and scenes which look as if they should have been re-shot. While amateurish looking, it actually is surprising that the film looks as good as it does! After all, the filmmakers really were in way over their heads. But they manage to produce some effectively grisly scenes involving atrocities and the killing of Nazis by the Resistance. I also was very impressed with the pro-Nazi propaganda film that was shown in the theater--it looked quite real. And considering the film's background, it's far better than it should be. All in all, an amazing accomplishment but a film that could use some editing and polish. For the average person, it's a bit too tedious to take seriously but for film students and cinephiles, it's quite fascinating.
The film begins in England in 1944. Although you see plenty of German soldiers running about, many more of those in authority are Pro-Nazi collaborators--and they willingly take to anti-Semetism and the usual Nazi rhetoric. While this notion offended many when the film debuted in 1966, this was a realistic scenario, as locals did work hand in hand with the Nazis in many countries--such as in France and the Ukraine. According to the film, these local fascists were needed because the war against the Soviets was not going well and they needed all the troops they could spare (just like what really happened in WWII).
The story focuses on an Irish nurse who goes to work with the fascist British government. She is mostly apolitical but over time, she is forced to take a stand--particularly because her job sometimes entails committing atrocities in her role as a nurse. What is she to do? Play it safe and work with the authorities or become part of the Resistance? This is a film whose concept is far better than the actual film--and with good reasons. Because writer/director Brownlow was filming this on the cheap, he used 16mm film and the sound was often quite poor--especially at the beginning. There are also many lulls and scenes which look as if they should have been re-shot. While amateurish looking, it actually is surprising that the film looks as good as it does! After all, the filmmakers really were in way over their heads. But they manage to produce some effectively grisly scenes involving atrocities and the killing of Nazis by the Resistance. I also was very impressed with the pro-Nazi propaganda film that was shown in the theater--it looked quite real. And considering the film's background, it's far better than it should be. All in all, an amazing accomplishment but a film that could use some editing and polish. For the average person, it's a bit too tedious to take seriously but for film students and cinephiles, it's quite fascinating.