Are We Civilized?

1934
Approved
1h 10m

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William Farnum, Anita Louise, and LeRoy Mason in Are We Civilized? (1934)

Paul is a European. He served in the army in the Great War. He emigrated to the USA. One day he returns to Europe and talks of freedom and liberty. The authorities (Nazi, but unnamed) come d... Read allPaul is a European. He served in the army in the Great War. He emigrated to the USA. One day he returns to Europe and talks of freedom and liberty. The authorities (Nazi, but unnamed) come down on him. It is their duty to spread racism and religious hatred. Paul gives the speech ... Read allPaul is a European. He served in the army in the Great War. He emigrated to the USA. One day he returns to Europe and talks of freedom and liberty. The authorities (Nazi, but unnamed) come down on him. It is their duty to spread racism and religious hatred. Paul gives the speech of a lifetime set against an epic series of films spread across the history of mankind.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.0/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Goofs
The bonfire on which Paul's books and papers are being thrown remains ridiculously small.

Quotes
Paul Franklin, Sr.: No, Norma, he can't see. He's blind. Blind to the inevitable. But I can see. I can see that mankind will never be truly civilized until all races become one in spirit, understanding and brotherly love. It's all so easy. Yet men are making it so hard. So difficult.

Crazy credits
[After the cast list] "And many thousands of soldiers, sailors and peasants"

Connections
Edited from The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918)

User reviews7

Review

Featured review

5/10

Higher in curiosity value than entertainment value

The documentary "Hitler's Reign of Terror" debuted in April 1934 and is considered the first anti-Nazi film. "Are We Civilized?" debuted two months later. It's probably the first fictional anti-Nazi film, which gives it some historic interest. OK, the country where it takes place is never identified as Germany but it's pretty obvious. Unfortunately the writing is pretty stilted, the plot isn't really credible, and about half of it is a simplistic lesson in human history illustrated by clips from old silent films.

The plot concerns an ex-German soldier from World War One, with a metal plate in his head , who somehow by 1934 has moved to the US and become owner of the world's larges newspaper syndicate, with his adult son as second in command. The son is engaged to the daughter of the father's boyhood best friend, who now has become the head of Germany's propaganda and censorship bureau. At a state dinner is his honor, the refugee news magnate naively launches an attack on German state censorship and things go downhill from there.

Adding to the unintentional humor is that everyone in Germany speaks only English with a variety of attempts at German accents, when the actors remember, although some cops who invade the press syndicate's palatial offices to burn books sound straight from the Bronx.

Unlikely you'll want to sit through the whole movie if you can find it, but film history buffs should enjoy browsing through it. The film makers at least deserve some credit for their boldness in bringing it out at a time when many in the US were quite opposed to criticism of Hitler.