FRIEDA [1947 / 2022] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] A young woman from Nazi Germany struggles to be accepted in an English village!
‘FRIEDA’ is a 1947 war drama directed by Basil Dearden and starring David Farrar, Glynis Johns, Flora Robson, Albert Lieven and Mai Zetterling.
Frieda, a German girl, helps English Robert [David Farrar] to escape from a German prisoner-of-war camp and in return he marries her so she can obtain a British passport even though he doesn't love her. When returning to Robert's small English hometown, Frieda [Mai Zetterling] is met with hostile anti-German sentiment which is only worsened when her brother, a former Nazi and now Polish soldier arrives. What follows is a terrible awakening for Frieda who, deeply in love with her husband, cannot accept when Robert turns against her.
FILM FACT: ‘FRIEDA’ is a 1947 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring David Farrar, Glynis Johns and Mai Zetterling. Made by Michael Balcon at Ealing Studios, it is based on the 1946 play of the same title by Ronald Millar who co-wrote the screenplay with Angus MacPhail. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Jim Morahan and Michael Relph. The film ‘FRIEDA’ was the ninth most popular film at the British box office in 1947. According to Kinematograph Weekly the “biggest winner” at the box office in 1947 Britain was The Courtneys of Curzon Street, with “runners up” being ‘The Jolson Story,’ ‘Great Expectations,’ ‘Odd Man Out,’ ‘FRIEDA,’ ‘Holiday Camp’ and ‘Duel in the Sun.’ The film ‘FRIEDA’ was released in 1948 in the United States to excellent box office results.
Cast: David Farrar, Glynis Johns, Mai Zetterling, Flora Robson, Albert Lieven, Barbara Everest, Gladys Henson, Ray Jackson, Patrick Holt, Milton Rosmer, Barry Letts, Gilbert Davis, Renee Gadd, Douglas Jefferies, Barry Jones, Eliot Makeham, Norman Pierce, John Ruddock, D.A. Clarke-Smith, Garry Marsh, Aubrey Mallalieu, John Molecey, Stanley Escane, Gerard Heinz, Arthur Howard, Hilda Barry (uncredited) and Meadows White (uncredited)
Director: Basil Dearden
Producers: Michael Balcon and Michael Relph
Screenplay: Ronald Millar (story), Angus MacPhail (screenplay) and Ronald Millar (screenplay)
Costume Design: Bianca Mosca (dresses)
Composer: John Greenwood
Cinematography: Gordon Dines (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 98 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: The Rank Organisation / Ealing Studios / StudioCanal
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The film ‘FRIEDA’ [1947] is not as well-known today as British films like ‘Victim’ [1961] or ‘The Smallest Show on Earth’ [1957], and the film ‘FRIEDA’ may count as one of director Basil Dearden’s best film so far, because not only it was made with the consummate excellence typical of Ealing Studios’ heyday under producer Michael Balcon, but gaining an exceptionally sharp edge through its treatment of a then raw subject: the post-war relationship between Britons and Germans.
‘FRIEDA’ was released only two years after World War II had ended, it spoke to fears, assumptions, prejudices and, of course, experiences that for many of its audience were still very much current, and in that it gains a sense of urgency and genuine dilemma that later treatments of the same issue like the 2019 film ‘The Aftermath,’ for example.
STUDIOCANAL’s Blu-ray reissue warns, about the “historical attitudes” that were “outdated or offensive” at the time of the release of the film. But they’re the entire point of ‘FRIEDA,’ which was based on a Ronald Millar play, which had a totally different and more pessimistic ending, whereas the film was promoted as a daring “social problem.”
For a long time since the film was released, there has been a long running debate over the existence of “the good German,” whether individual Germans in 1947 always bear some guilt for the Third Reich, and if so how far that excludes them from normal society. It had already been addressed in cinema, of course, for example with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger film the ‘49th Parallel’ [1941], but rarely as intensely as in the film ‘FRIEDA.’
Of course, the question that is asked about the film ‘FRIEDA,’ especially by its audiences wasn’t just about Germans; it was about Britons too. So it is, perhaps, not too much of a surprise that the titular Frieda played by the Swedish Mai Zetterling in the 1947 absence of well-known German actresses and is a rather enigmatic character, almost bland despite her moments of high emotion, and one about whom we ultimately learn little. The real drama is played out by the English amongst whom she must live when she flees Poland toward the end of the war with her husband to settle in his family’s small town in Oxfordshire.
And especially when you hear, “Can they like me?” Frieda wonders. Yes, Robert [David Farrar] assures her as they make their way from ruined Krakow, that is vividly depicted, then back to safety; and again Robert says to Frieda there is “nothing to be frightened of in England, certainly not in Denfield.”
Robert, a downed RAF airman, Frieda is a nurse who’s helped him; and he marries her, in a bombed-out Polish church, so she can escape from the wreckage of the Reich, rather than for love. But back in Denfield, of course, few shares his sense of obligation toward her and some are outright hostile. “She has nice quiet ways,” one resident suggests. “So does a mine till it explodes” retorts another. Nasty gossip and even stares are only the beginning. A builder refuses to do repairs on the home of Robert’s family; boys are withdrawn from the school where Robert has regained his old job as a master.
Emotions are further heightened by the revelation that Frieda’s German parents were killed in an air raid on Cologne, the same city where Robert’s brother was shot down and presumably died — the film here raising, without excessive comment, the point that German civilians suffered at Allied hands too — and then by the unexpected arrival of a figure from Frieda’s past.
This individual Richard [Albert Lieven], is slightly too mad-eyed and fanatical, and is crucial to the mechanics of the plot but also takes Frieda too close to melodrama. More genuinely interesting and the real focus of the film more than Frieda herself is the German woman’s treatment by Robert’s aunt Nell [Flora Robson].
Nell, who remarkably for the time, is running for Parliament in the General Election of 1945, and believes all Germans are guilty of the “monstrous crime” of war. There are faint, momentary hints that she might have doubts about this and, of course, the question of whether she will overcome her theoretical objection to Germans once she gets to know a real-life German in the flesh is a key one in Frieda. But for most of it, at least, she’s adamant, at one point even insisting to another family member, Judy [Glynis Johns] that she’s actively trying not to feel the same resentment towards Germans.
‘FRIEDA’ is positively bulging with dramatic potential, then, and director Basil Dearden makes the most of it magnificently. With the film that ties together several storylines, like Robert and Frieda; Judy and Frieda; Nell’s election campaign, relates to the mood of the film, from exuberance to devastation, is created by direction and Basil Dearden gets every scene tonally spot-on, as well as skilfully linking from each episode or dialogue passage into the next.
Much of the film ‘FRIEDA’ is filmed in a style that we often associate with the horror of war, like looming furniture, pronounced shadows, and half-lit faces, but is also characteristic of the psychological thrillers coming to prominence in the 1940’s.
At other times it rushes ahead with great energy, though we get to hear plenty of talk, the film ‘FRIEDA’ never feels remotely static; and particularly impressive we get to view a montage of election speeches and voter canvassing, as well as an early sequence featuring a seamless stream of locations and introducing many of the main characters in Poland, then a street in Denfield, then the family house, the church, a wedding inside it, and finally the wedding reception.
Humour is not entirely absent either despite in the film ‘FRIEDA’ we get very grave subject matter, especially at the Denfield ration office, where a young civil servant has diligently prepared a speech in German, unaware that the town’s new resident speaks English. But inevitably it’s the darker moments that have the most impact, particularly Robert and Frieda’s slow, silent departure from a cinema where they have watched newsreel footage of Bergen-Belsen, and an extraordinary, almost surreal drowning scene toward the end, somewhat reminiscent of the nightmare conclusion of the Basil Dearden 1945 very multi-directed film ‘Dead of Night.’
Basil Dearden’s masterful control of the film ‘FRIEDA’ is supported by several fine performances, notably from the women’s point of view, particularly the wonderful Flora Robson as Aunt Nell, a fascinatingly un-feminine lady, especially for that period, with all the assertiveness you would expect from an ambitious woman in a man’s world. But actress Flora Robson is careful not to stereotype herself, or to make her rigidity of attitude toward Frieda seem unreasonable, especially with her comment “war’s not a football match” where you shake hands and revert to amiability afterwards, Aunt Nell argues; indeed, it’s a strength of the film that everyone’s viewpoint is at least understandable.
Gladys Henson as Edith has a good character role as the family housekeeper, while Mrs Dawson [Barbara Everest] as Robert’s mother, who is the only member of the cast to move to the film from the stage production, and Glynis Johns as Judy, the widow of Robert’s brother, add further perspectives on the German woman in these British women’s midst. Ray Jackson as Tony is also effective as Robert’s young nephew, though Tony himself is a little stolid in the male lead.
But of course the film ‘FRIEDA’ is based on the stage play and shot soon after the end of World War II, Frieda is a powerful ‘home’ drama which addresses a number of prejudices and post-war sentiments. But director Basil Dearden’s drama is very far from being essentially a propaganda film, indeed quite the opposite. Little England is exposed by the treatment of Frieda. The propaganda and rampant nationalism of wartime doesn’t simply dissipate after the enemy surrenders, as the film ‘FRIEDA’ holds up a mirror and is as relevant today as it ever has been.
FRIEDA MUSIC TRACK LIST
THE HOKEY COCKEY (uncredited) [Written by Jimmy Kennedy]
LOVE STEALS YOUR HEART (uncredited) from ‘The Wicked Lady’ [1945] [Music by Hans May] [Lyrics by Alan Stranks]
LET HIM GO, LET HIM TARRY (uncredited) [Traditional] [Arranged by Ray Terry]
SILENT NIGHT (uncredited) [Music by Franz Xaver Gruber] [Arranged by Ernest Irving]
Das zerbrochene Ringlein (uncredited) [Music by Friedrich Glück] [Lyrics by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – The Rank Organisation, Ealing Studios and StudioCanal presents us the film ‘FRIEDA’ with a truly awesome 1080p Black-and-White stunning image that has been sourced from a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master positive. The print looks very clean, with minimal debris and other problems, so the image is allowed to really stand out. The black-and-white image really looks great and shows more sharpness than expected, which is always good news and it is a marked improvement over the other previous versions released I have viewed, and I am again very impressed what the Network have done to preserve this classic British drama. So well done Network for your sterling work and definitely gets a five star rating from me.
Blu-ray Image Quality – The Rank Organisation, Ealing Studios and StudioCanal brings us the film ‘FRIEDA’ with a standard 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio which reflects the sound system that was used in 1947, but despite this On top of all that, the audio has been mastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack, so all the sound is focused via the speakers, and since this film lives and breathes on the amazing screenplay, especially with the clever use of narration and the brisk pace of the story, it serves the film well and I found myself totally immersed in this film, which may very well have more to do with the great characters and again the razor sharp screenplay. So once again, well done Network for your sterling work and definitely gets a five star rating from me.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Strength and Weakness: Matthew Sweet on ‘FRIEDA’ [2022] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [24:12] With this featurette, Matthew Sweet [Author and Cultural Historian] says he is going to break with convention of conversations like with this featurette, with this documentary Matthew Sweet says he is going to say something topical about the film ‘FRIEDA’ and especially seeing it for the first time, and feels the movie is a subject from something in the past history, like conflicts in Europe, atrocities, relationships across great divides, questions of how cultures finding each other accessible or not, right at the time when Matthew Sweet recorded this featurette, especially with a war going on right now in Europe, where Russia has illegally invaded Ukraine and some of the images at the start of the film and finding ourselves seeing the horrendous devastation in Krakow in Ukraine under bombardment, which really resonates in what we see in the nightly television news programmes right now and Matthew Sweet saw a report on the news about a young couple getting married in Kiev in Ukraine under constant bombardment and Matthew Sweet feels he understands why this this film ‘FRIEDA’ was so important, and why it touched Matthew Sweet‘s nerve, when it was released in 1947, and it wouldn’t be wrong trying to connect with our own historical moment, and do you live your life that is dramatically reshaped the geo political events, it is how you respond to those things on a personal level and how you structure your personal relationships, as well as your feelings about the world and especially other countries and also the world population. Matthew Sweet feels that before we talk about the film ‘FRIEDA’ that we should think about the “Frieda” play that was adapted from the Ronald Millar and original was put on in Brighton in February 1946 and it was marketed as a play of the moment in time and it absolutely was, and in1946 Britain was still feeling the effects of the end of the Second World War and the aftermath moment and of course things were very raw with people of Britain and in some of the reviews of the play said maybe this is a play for tomorrow, maybe these wounds are too open, and to be watching a play that is essentially about the British people learning to accept a German woman entering this rural market town community in England, and about a marriage between a British Officer and a young German nurse. It was quite a kind of intellectual exercise and the theatre company that produced it, would later become well known for putting on works of T.S. Eliot. The production company that put on the “Frieda” play was sponsored by the Arts Council and of course it was not the same as some kind of popular West End play success, but despite this, a lot of residents in Brighton went to see the play, because they felt it had a New Statement comment about society at the time, and the publication is a leading progressive political and cultural magazine in the United Kingdom and around the world and got together to debate the play and especially the film ‘FRIEDA’ which Matthew Sweet says the film absolutely preserves the theatre production, and there was very short gap between when the play was staged until when the film went into production in September 1946 and lapsed into January 1947 and was released for the cinema audiences in July 1947, and of course the film was shot in a very short period of time, because Ealing Studios felt releasing the film just after the end of the Second World War to see what the public reaction to the film would be, which again the British people were extra sensitive with the subject of the film, and Matthew Sweet felt it was very brave and daring for Ealing Studios to release the film of its genre, and especially the material contents of the film ‘FRIEDA’ and especially the very stark statement on the film poster, where it said “The Film That Puts The Question – Would You Take Frieda Into Your Home?” Matthew Sweet also comments that he feels the reason Ealing Studios got hold of this property so fast, because Associate Producer Michael Ralph was designer of the Brighton Theatre production, so he was already connected with it, and would of known all about it and that is how he was able to fast track it for Ealing Studios to shoot the film, and Ronald Millar worked on the screenplay, and also Angus MacPhail helped with part of the screenplay and it is the ending of the play is very different to the film, and there is not quite as much an open question in the way the story concluded in the film. Now Ealing Studios was very keen to point out how brave it was in tackling this very sensitive subject, but one thing that modern audiences cannot help to notice, but the British response to this German woman entering a British family’s home environment, yet of course the actress Mia Zetterling playing the character Fried is actually a Swedish actress. Now Ronald Millar chewed over this question and when he wrote about this subject, questioned that the British public in 1947 had never seen a German character in a British film, but of course later on the British public did start to see films starring German actors and also films released in America. But there is a new kind of atmosphere in the post war period, but the idea you can have uncomplicated relationship with a German in the film star who might have been living in Germany in the Second World War, which he thinks might have been very hard for a British audience to accept in 1947. They also questioned why couldn’t they have had an English actress doing a German accent, and they did do some screen tests and did not seem to work out how they wanted it to happen, and Michael Balcon and Basil Dearden went to Sweden in 1946 to checkout some Swedish actresses, but did not quite workout how they thought how easy it would be to find the ideal actress, but after a frantic search, suddenly came upon the Swedish actress Mia Zetterling, who at the time could not speak in English, but was very popular in Sweden appearing in Swedish plays and films, but eventually they felt Mia Zetterling would be perfect, but later on Mia Zetterling was not very happy with the film ‘FRIEDA’ and was very dismissive of the film and of course the film ‘FRIEDA,’ but despite this, the film ‘FRIEDA’ launched Mia Zetterling her successful career and eventually appearing in other British films, and especially appearing in five films with The Rank Organisation and again the film ‘FRIEDA’ made Mia Zetterling a big star. But there is something about the performance of Mia Zetterling and the way the actress is portrayed in the film, makes the actress slightly blank and bland, but sometimes angelic, and sometimes there is a kind of distance that really suits Mia Zetterling’s character very much and the treatment of the film, because Frieda is a person who is again kind of gives off a character with blank expression, and we don’t know anything at all about the relationship with her and her British Officer husband to be, even though we see them get married in a Christian church in Germany while bombs are dropping all around them and eventually making their escape to England, and the relationship is basically a convenient marriage as such, especially at first her British Officer husband says he does not love her, and we think something might happen between the actress Glynis Johns who plays the character Judy, and Frieda might fade into the background. Matthew Sweet feels the film is not about a marriage, this is a film about a relationship between an individual like Frieda and the culture she finds herself and this was how the film was conceived way before filming started, and of course there are a host of characters who have very strong feelings about a German woman entering into their environment, and the most important character is the actress Flora Robson who plays the character Nell who is a member of Parliament, and is strongly portrayed as a Labour MP, and stands up against prejudice from the public and other candidates from opposite parties, and as time goes by, the negative attitudes from the opposite parties towards the German person coming into their community slowly fades away eventually, because they realise Frieda was not a Nazi and was not involved with the Nazi regime, only her nasty brother we eventually find out his true allegiance to this murderess Nazi regime, and that shocking scene in the film where her brother gives Frieda a wedding present that is a really a totally horrendous scene, that makes you feel totally uncomfortable. When the film was finally released in 1947, the film was a box office success and also got a deal to distribute the film in America and was also a great success, and although a lot of Americans went to see the film, and the reviews and the stance the film delivers in being sympathetic towards the German woman and felt the film portrayed a very forgiving British attitude, and of course the last scene in the film shows that love conquers everything. But in the play, at the end Frieda goes back to Germany and the British Officer just gets on with his life. Matthew Sweet recommends you watch the film especially, and you will see a film at work that is daring to very tactile and difficult questions of something that is very uncomfortable, especially when the film was released in 1947. At that point the featurette finally ends and sometime I felt Matthew Sweet tended to waffle far too much and went on 10 minutes too long, but despite this, some of the things he said were quite interesting.
Special Feature: ‘FRIEDA’ Recaptured [2022] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [24:59] With this featurette, we have Charles Barr who is the author of “Ealing Studios” and we also get contributions from the likes of Alex Douet and Marcia Dawes and all of them is looking back at the film ‘FRIEDA’ and informs us that the Ealing Studios were very keen to make the film ‘FRIEDA’ because they felt the film was very topical in1946 and especially when it finally got released in 1947, especially when it came to Anglo German relationships at the end of the Second World War. But sadly Charles Barr goes over a lot of information that Matthew Sweet does in his featurette, especially about the play performed in Brighton, but then Ealing Studios decided to get on the bandwagon to make the film ‘FRIEDA’ in 1946. Next we are back to Charles Barr and talks in-depth about near the end of the film where Frieda wants to ends her life, but again in the Matthew Sweet featurette we are informed that love conquers all and we have a happy end to the film. Charles Barr point out different aspects towards the film ‘FRIEDA’ where we have a contributing scenario about the import of the German people into Britain and of course the negative attitude of the British people just after the end of the Second World War, and how eventually the British residents in the village had no hard feelings towards Frieda in a country she was not born in. Another contributor to this featurette is Alex Douet who was clapper loader (uncredited) to the film ‘FRIEDA’ and informs us of his experience working on the film, especially working with director Basil Dearden who would be very annoyed if you made a silly mistake after three times shooting the same scene, especially the German male actor and Basil Dearden would again get very angry if something went wrong. Both Charles Barr and Alex Douet comment that they feel the film is sort of like a two act play, showing the characteristics of the British people in that village where Frieda was a resident and where we get to see the other aspect of Frieda’s German brother who of course is 100% Nazi sympathiser through and through, which Frieda is totally shocked and of course eventually her Nazi brother gets his deserved comeuppance, and of course her brother is totally rejected by Frieda and does not want anything to do with him when he reveals to Frieda that the Nazi regime should rise up again and to win the war. We find out that the actress Mia Zetterling was married to a Swedish ballet dancer and guarded the actress all the time, even when filming certain scenes in the film, and hardly left her side. Both Charles Barr and Alex Douet felt the fil, was well cast with some amazing actors and they also felt the standout outstanding performance was with the actress Flora Robson. Next up to talk about the film ‘FREIDA’ is Marcia Dawes who was the Marcia Dawes who was the production secretary, and says that if it had been a European film, it would of gone into much deeper issues than what was made by Ealing Studios, and Marcia Dawes also says that with the British characters and for a film released in 1947, it showed British characters with a bit of a stiff upper lips at the beginning of the film when Frieda entered the community. But the one bonus with the film is the main female actors were all strong characters and all wanting to resolve the negative attitude of the people in the rural village. Once again, all the contributors talking about certain aspects about the film ‘FRIEDA,’ we also get to view certain scenes from the film what they had all been talking about. One of the contributors says that the filming of the wedding scene in the bombed out church in Germany, which is fact was filmed in Acton in London and it was extremely cold and not a very pleasant filming experience, especially lots of hanging about when they had to set up scenes for the film. They also talk about the actress Glynis Johns who played the character Judy, who they say was a bit weird, who could not bear to hear the clapper board noise, and of course the clapper board has to give the editor where to edit the film and again did not like the loud noise the clapper board made that had to be done in front of her face, and they had to use the clapper board at the end of a scene with the actress Glynis Johns and had to have the clapper board upside down. But all in all, they praise the five strong British female actors, plus of course great praise towards the actress Mai Zetterling. At that point this featurette ends, and it is slightly a bit hit and misses in my opinion, because some of the different contributors tended to state the obvious of what is happening in scenes in the film we get to view, because some of their comments were totally pointless, but on the other hand, some of the other contributors gives some information regarding certain scenes that we did not get to hear in the previous featurette, so in my opinion this featurette only get a three start rating for their effort.
Special Feature: Behind The Scene Stills Gallery: With this featurette, we get to view some wonderful stunning 1080p black-and-white images of behind-the-scene relating to the 1947 film ‘FRIEDA.’
Finally, ‘FRIEDA’ [1947] was part of the Ealing Studios films franchise of the war years and those immediately after provided drama built on a solid factual basis, compared in contrast to the often fanciful comedies with which the studio would become associated slightly later. Few, however, tackle quite such a difficult topic as ‘FRIEDA’ and a question which really did lack easy answers that would be acceptable to everyone. The film ultimately makes no secret about its own views on the matter, but remains respectful of the alternative position and never becomes polemical. To manage that is creditable; to manage that and also create a movie that remains consistently believable and gripping without sensationalising its subject matter is a sign that ‘FRIEDA’ should be really ranked with Basil Dearden’s more famed achievements, but despite this ‘FRIEDA’ is still a good war themed film. ‘FRIEDA’ is creditable; and manages to also create a movie that remains consistently believable and gripping without sensationalising its subject matter is a sign that ‘FRIEDA’ really ought to be ranked with Basil Dearden’s more famed achievements. Perhaps this StudioCanal release, with limited but useful extras, will help it on its way and is a must purchase. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
