Thorold Dickinson was one of the best British directors of the 1930s and 1940s. Although his film output was rather low, he delivered such high pedigree works as QUEEN OF SPADES, GASLIGHT and, of course, THE NEXT OF KIN.
The latter is an extremely realistic war propaganda piece where citizens and soldiers take innocent, careless, or deliberate actions that end up costing lives, and harming the United Kingdom's military effort and national security.
With actors of such high quality as Mervyn Johns, Jack Hawkins, Nova Pillbeam, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne playing small but necessary parts, NEXT OF KIN is eminently watchable, intelligent, realistic to the extent of showing the national forces getting as good as they give, and even senior military officers making amateurish mistakes.
Chilly ending, too, with the inconspicuous spy listening to a chat between army officers - it brings to mind a time when you could not speak, any word could be misinterpreted, any life could be in danger over founded or unfounded suspicion. Of that time and that world were we all saved by the brave Allied forces who fought in WWII, and our gratitude can never be enough.
Extremely apt cinematography and editing, eloquent script, superior direction by Dickinson - NEXT OF KIN is a propaganda masterpiece and a very good, riveting film in its own right! 9/10.
The latter is an extremely realistic war propaganda piece where citizens and soldiers take innocent, careless, or deliberate actions that end up costing lives, and harming the United Kingdom's military effort and national security.
With actors of such high quality as Mervyn Johns, Jack Hawkins, Nova Pillbeam, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne playing small but necessary parts, NEXT OF KIN is eminently watchable, intelligent, realistic to the extent of showing the national forces getting as good as they give, and even senior military officers making amateurish mistakes.
Chilly ending, too, with the inconspicuous spy listening to a chat between army officers - it brings to mind a time when you could not speak, any word could be misinterpreted, any life could be in danger over founded or unfounded suspicion. Of that time and that world were we all saved by the brave Allied forces who fought in WWII, and our gratitude can never be enough.
Extremely apt cinematography and editing, eloquent script, superior direction by Dickinson - NEXT OF KIN is a propaganda masterpiece and a very good, riveting film in its own right! 9/10.