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starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stackdirected by: Frank Borzage
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786303120492
Format: Black & White, NTSC
ISBN: 6303120490
Label: MGM (Warner)
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: June 30, 1994
Running Time: 100 minutes
Sales Rank: 7318
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: June 14, 1940
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
One of the best American pre-war films to attempt to explain the crisis brewing in Europe, this 1940 MGM film documents the effects of the new Nazi regime on a small, peaceful Alpine village. James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan struggle to understand the unjust changes being forced upon their community by the growing Nazi influence. Helpless to avert the horror unfolding before them, Stewart and Sullavan witness old friends becoming fearful and suspicious. Others cast their lot with the new order and become cruel, jealous, and vengeful--even drunk on Nazi power. The small German village seduced by the corrupt Nazi message is an excellent analogy for what happened in Germany as a whole. At the time, Americans did not want to get involved in another 'European war,' but films like The Mortal Storm tried to show Americans that what was happening overseas could also happen on Maple Street, USA. --Mark Savary
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - One of Jimmy's Best
This WWII political drama starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, along with very young Robert Stack, Dan Dailey, Robert Young and of course, the Wizard of Oz, Frank Morgan, who is fabulous in this dramatic role, has been overlooked by the wizards of Hollywood. Due to the overall excellence of the film, great acting and wonderful scenes of Jimmy and Margaret "skiing" in the Alps at night, it should be listed, at least, as one of the best 100 films.
Rating:  - Intimidation
"The Mortal Storm" is a movie that predates America's entry into WWII. It is based on a book that was published the year before the war began in Europe. It tells the story of a Bavarian family and their mixed relationship with the Nazi party. Within this family and their close associates, is a mixed opinion of the Nazi party. Some were hard-core adherents and others either ignored or disagreed with its' totalitarian stance. The film suffers somewhat by not exploring the rationale behind the ... Read More
Rating: - Understanding "The Mortal Storm" means Understanding Borzage
Probably the best movie concerning the rise of Hitler and Nazism ever made. By far, the most compelling performances were that of Jimmy Stewart (Martin Breitner) and M. Sullivan. There are many familiar faces in this film that went on to even greater heights: Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz), Robert Stack (The Untouchables), & Robert Montgomery (Father Knows Best, Marcus Welby MD). But to really understand this film you have to understand the director, Frank Borzage. A 2-time Oscar winner (Seventh ... Read More
Rating: - Powerful WWII-era political drama
A chilling and surprisingly effective political drama detailing Germany's transition from a center of European high civilization into the totalitarian paranoia of the Nazi regime. Jimmy Stewart is a free-thinking, kind hearted Everyman, whose best friends turn on him when he refuses Party membership, and whose life and career are destroyed by the people who were once his neighbors and confidants. The sense of horror and surprise at how swiftly things changed is made manifest in this film, which is one ... Read More
Rating: - German woman/what have we lost
Politics are heavy in this movie, and what it is all about. Reminds me of current American political correctness, and the liberal bias of the US press. And why living in Texas is not all agreeable, but nobody judges my liberal views with malice.
Liberty here is complete, and a breath of fresh air after, "life inside-the-beltway".
But the true value is the accidental depiction of the good German woman. Accidental because that was not the purpose of the movie. And as such, probably ... Read More
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