This Land is Mine (1943, USA) – I love the idea of setting a war movie in a generic European country, in a generic occupied city with heroes and cowards, quislings and saboteurs. It gives it the character of a fable, and allows it to take unrealistic shortcuts in order to make a statement that is true on a deeper level – about what it means to live as a free people. Watched it all.

Hitler’s Madman (1943, USA) – The worst “life in occupied Europe” movie so far. Watched: 8 minutes, then fast forwarded to the end, where a village is massacred. The Nazis here are ridiculous, and yet this movie comes closer than many realistic war movies in capturing the scale of the Nazi atrocities.

Action in the North Atlantic (1943, USA) – Macho war drama about the brave men who sail the North Atlantic, men who believe in God, Roosevelt and the Brooklyn Dodgers – in that order. This is a real action movie, with explosions, narrow escapes, and sniggering Nazi schweinhunds. Watched: 29 minutes.

This is the Army (1943, USA) – There’s one foolproof way for a movie to piss me off, and that is to open with an 8 minute overture! Watched: 10 minutes longer than that, then fast forwarded through the rest: It’s two hours of soldiers singing and dancing. You know, I don’t think this is army.

A Guy Named Joe (1943, USA) – Spencer Tracy is not a believable bomber pilot. Watched: 7 minutes.