Today We Live

That's pretty much the highlight and only point of interest to watch in this film. Crawford was freshly divorced from Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. She and Franchot Tone fell in love and started their romance, ultimately leading to marriage, while making this film. Since their characters are brother and sister; it's very interesting to watch the passion and "familial" kisses between them that is a LOT more potent than between Joan and her other two leading men, who were SUPPOSED to be the love interests.

Although the story was based on a William Faulkner novel, it is NOT very true to the book .... since there was NO female character like Joan's in the book. MGM wanted to use Crawford and had Faulkner add a character to the screenplay to accommodate a role for her. Trouper that she was, she does a good job, but this basic World War I "men's" story is very strange due to the newly added love triangle. There are also some very abrupt editing sequences that make you ponder what was left out.

Crawford manages to look great (although her clothes were NOT correct for the period - wait til you see her gown as Lady of the Manor - Adrian on the Moon!) and has some good close-ups but she is not believable as a Brit or in her supposed love for Gary Cooper. Her suffering and caring towards Robert Young is very touching though.

Cooper is always pleasant to watch but this does nothing extra for his resume. Robert Young is sweet and winsome and commands the movie-underdog fan-love, but Franchot Tone is the one who knows how to take below-average material and make it interesting. What he can do with a few curt words, a small prop like an upside down pipe in the rain or a quiet entrance into a room is sublime.

For Joan Crawford fans, I'd rate this movie a 5.5; for war and general movie fans, I'd rate it slightly lower at a solid 5.