What has Ciao done? I don't like the new layout at all!
What has Ciao done? I don't like the new layout at all!
Member since:05.03.2005
Reviews:159
Members who trust:50
Review of 'Carve Her Name With Pride' DVD
The DVD
First released to cinemas in 1958 and on DVD in 2007. The DVD has a run time of 115 minutes and carries a PG certificate. The DVD is filmed in black and white and there are no special features or extras included.
Cast, Producers, Writers and Directors
Actors: Virginia McKenna, Paul Scofield, Jack Warner, Denise Grey, Alain Saury Directors: Lewis Gilbert Writers: Lewis Gilbert, Leo Marks, R.J. Minney, Vernon Harris Producers: Daniel M. Angel, Earl St. John, Hugh Perceval
The Plot
Carve Her Name With Pride is a dramatic story. It follows the true story of War heroine Violette Szabo. Violette, a fluent French speaker, who after the death of her husband, volunteered during the Second World War to be parachuted into France as a secret agent to re-organise the shattered French resistance movement.
Her mission is fraught with danger and although she manages to parachute in successfully and obtain supplies for the Normandy Front, Violette is eventually captured by the German forces and handed over to the Gestapo. She is subjected to a grueling and barbaric interrogation. The torture is intense and prolonged, but Violette does not betray her comrades, which infuriates the Gestapo. Violette is deported to Germany on grounds of espionage and imprisoned in Ravensbruck concentration camp. Only thoughts of her little daughter, at home in England with her grandparents, keep Violette going.
A box of tissues will probably be required for the end of this movie, I will not say more for fear of spoiling the DVD for others.
Availability and Price
'Carve Her Name With Pride' DVD is available from various online retailers. A quick search produced the following prices and sources. Obviously this search was done today (27/10/09) and I make no guarantee that these prices will be applicable on other dates.
Released in 1958 this film was one of the many post war dramas that hit British cinema screens. The war may have been over, but stories of heroes and heroines were popular with film makers and audiences alike. The role of Violette Szabo is taken by Virginia McKenna who plays the part with sensitivity and I feel respect for the family of Violette and her dangerous role as a secret agent in war torn France.
Carve Her Name With Pride is well worth watching as it is not only a true story but an unusual slant on the typical war film. The subject matter is uncomfortable viewing at times yet it is in no way gratuitous and there are no horrific scenes of torture, yet you are in no doubt about what is happening.
Violette Szabo was clearly a very brave young woman who believed in what she was doing. She took risks that I cannot Imagine myself or any other woman ever wishing to take, especially as she was the mother of a young daughter. It is true that the film is a little dated compared to modern films and being filmed in black and white may put some viewers off, but I feel as a glimpse into the real world of people during the second world war, Carve Her Name With Pride deserves to be called a classic.
Thank you for reading.
İbrittle1906 October 2009
N.B. My review may be found on other review sites under the same user name, brittle1906.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 1981 - Drama - Director: Franco Zeffirelli - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford, Beatrice Straight
BAFTA-winning actress Virginia McKenna (A Town Like Alice, Born Free) and Oscar-winning ... more
Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons, Quiz Show) star in this moving and dramatic story of a woman who volunteers to be parachuted into France as a secret agent to ...