clanciai This was James Hilton's most upsetting novel, a parallel to Hans Fallada's "Was nun, kleiner Mann?" about the plight of small humble people at the mercy of a world of inhumanity. Paul Muni makes one of his finest performances ever as a good and decent but not very clever small town doctor, who is governed by a bit too orderly wife (Flora Robson), who doesn't like music, while Paul Muni actually plays the violin and does it well. As one of his patients he takes care of a young dancer who has broken a delicate bone, but she is foreign (Austrian) and has no one to turn to when she falls out of luck, deserted by her dancing company and attempting suicide in her abandoned despair. She proves to have a very good hand with children, and the doctor and his wife need a nanny for their young son (about 5 or 6), so even Flora welcomes her. But she becomes such good friends with both the son and the musical doctor, that Flora feels bypassed and takes action, ordering her to leave. There the trouble begins.It coincides with the outbreak of the first world war, and as an Austrian the delicate Jane Bryan finds herself a declared enemy in a very hostile country, where the small town folk don't hesitate to lynch local Germans. And so it goes from bad to worse.Edmund Goulding has much of the credit for this extremely human and touching film, which could make anyone's heart melt. A sure thing is you will never forget it. It completely dwarfs "Good-Bye Mr Chips" of the same author and almost the same year for its deeper human poignancy. "We Are Not Alone" refers to the fact which the doctor quietly observes, that those who suffer as martyrs for meaningless hatred in local places indeed are not alone, since hundreds of thousands of innocents are martyred at the same time in the trenches of the war. There are many delicate details in this film making it worth seeing again now and then, since situations like this always will remain actual and important reminders.

MartinHafer Okay, I'll admit this is NOT a perfect film. However, given the talent of Paul Muni, an interesting story by James Hilton AND the full MGM treatment, this is still an exceptional film. Two things that stand out particularly for me is the amazing awfulness of Muni's wife--she's so bad you can't stop watching. Second, is the very unusual plot involving the advent of WWI and xenophobia run amok that results in the public condemning an innocent woman simply because she is Austrian. ABout the only people I would NOT recommend this to are people who HATE older movies (I feel VERY sorry for you) and people who really need happy endings (you won't find one here).

bailodhia This movie could have been an all-time classic, except that it's timing was disastrous - an anti-war film seeking sympathy for a Germanic heroine released in the second week of 1939! But, now, removed from the immediate patriotic passions of that time, we can objectively appreciate the quality and meaning of the film. It was ahead of its time also in the fact of it not following the strict constraints of 'genre' films - it had a very complex story to tell and told it truthfully and unflinchingly. I notice that several of the reviews posted here criticize the film for "being two different movies", or "changing gears midway through and becoming another film." Sorry people, that was the whole point of this cinematic exercise - a unique and totally challenging film. I'm afraid that these critics are used to getting their films rigidly by the numbers and can't take complexity or surprise. This is an extremely complex film and, while straightforwardly entertaining, can be understood on so many different levels of meaning. There is absolute genius in the subtle symbolism of some of its messages, and the more thoughtful, analytical, and sophisticated the viewer - the more they will get from it. Heartbreaking, I believe, is the word which best describes the feeling one comes away with. The film's deceptive surface simplicity absolutely devastates the viewer by the end. Most people I've watched this with, men and women both, are shaken and in tears at the end - even the most jaded of viewers Jake an excuse to leave the room for a while in an effort to resist the emotion.Emotion - the key to the film's success is almost entirely due to the exquisite and incomparable musical score of Max Steiner. MAX STEINER wrote the score in 7 days, working night and day, so that he could be able to depart from Warners and go to Selznick studios to begin his commitment to writing the music for "Gone with the Wind". As monumental as that score was, his intense effort for "We Are Not Alone" is even greater. The scoring is not only melodic and beautiful, but the choice of orchestration grabs the heart and the thematic expertise emotionally is the soul and guiding force of the film. And Tony Gaudio's excellent photography conveys a nice pictorial compliment. Needless to say, the acting is superb, especially Jane Bryan, who Noel Coward called the finest movie actress in the world after seeing this film.This is a one and only, and if you're a sensitive, intelligent lover of true beauty - it's for you. There will never be an equal.

smrhyne I have watched this movie many times because I always enjoy watching Paul Muni, no matter what role he is in. This movie is an opportunity to see Muni without the heavy make-up that he wore in many of his movies. Although I like this movie a lot, I was rather disappointed in the ending. It seemed to change gears about halfway through. The movie goes from being a poignant love story to making a political statement about war. But I still recommend it. Muni, Flora Robson and Jane Bryan all give excellent performances and Muni's relationship with his son is beautiful to see.