Yanks - We were strangers yesterday

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Yanks - We were strangers yesterday
Original title Yanks
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 1979
length 138-165 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Schlesinger
script Colin Welland ,
Walter Bernstein
production Joseph Janni ,
Lester Persky for United Artists
music Richard Rodney Bennett
camera Dick Bush
cut Jim Clark
occupation
synchronization

Yanks - Yesterday We Were Strangers (original title Yanks ) is a British drama film directed by John Schlesinger from 1979 . The leading roles are cast with Richard Gere , Vanessa Redgrave , William Devane and Lisa Eichhorn .

The script is based on an original story by Colin Welland , who was born in Lancashire . He also wrote the script, assisted by Walter Bernstein .

action

The action takes place during the Second World War , shortly before the Allies landed in Normandy : “In early 1942 until the invasion of Europe, over a million Americans landed in Great Britain. They came to fight on the front lines or to occupy the many bases of the United States in England. Hardly any town, small town or village was left untouched. "

The US soldiers are waiting for their deployment in an English provincial town. The locals mockingly refer to them as yanks . The US Army has set up a huge base in the vicinity of the city, which of course has a corresponding effect on the area and greatly changes the environment of the small town. The good buddies, Army chef Matt Dyson, and boxer Danny Ruffello, are among the soldiers. Danny especially can't wait to get to know the girls in the small town. Her superior Captain John has been on site for a little longer. He is on friendly terms with the aristocrat Helen, a cellist who is married to a British lieutenant who is abroad to fight the enemy. John and Helen understand each other blindly and under other circumstances could have been a perfect couple. They also get closer physically during a trip to Ireland . Helen later replies to John's indirect question that she will never forget these days.

Matt and Danny have since made the acquaintance of two English girls. Matt falls seriously in love with Jean Moreton, but is expected to marry Ken, with whom she has been linked since childhood. Ken also fights the enemy as a soldier at the front. For this reason, Jean also defends against her burgeoning feelings for Matt, although it occurs to her more and more often that he could be the man she would like to grow old with. Jean's parents are not exactly happy that their daughter is doing so much with the "foreigner". Jean's seriously ill mother, in particular, does not have a particularly high opinion of the morale of American soldiers; However, Jean does her best to convince her that Matt is different. An irritating incident occurs on New Year's Eve. When a black GI dances with a white English woman, some white soldiers in the army take this as an opportunity to start a brawl and treat the black soldier in an inhuman way. Neither Matt nor Danny intervene, which not only arouses displeasure with Jeans, who then demonstratively invites the black Americans to dance with her friend Mollie and other English women.

When the news arrives that Ken has fallen, Jean's mother - in shock from the bad news - indirectly blames her daughter and Matt for it. However, Jean has now realized how much Matt means to her and wants to give himself up to him. When he backs down, she questions his love and pulls back. In a discussion he tries to explain his motives to her and that he does not know whether he will come back from the war and therefore does not want to risk leaving her with a child. Jean thinks it's better he go now.

When news arrives that Captain John's unit, which includes Matt and Danny, must move away to take part in the Normandy invasion , Danny and Mollie get married beforehand. Jean's seriously ill mother dies, the funeral takes place on the day Matt and Danny have to leave. A package is handed in for Jean that contains a cake baked by Matt with a declaration of love. Jean's father says she should run, maybe she can reach Matt. Jean fights her way to the train station, where she meets Mollie. The women desperately try to find Matt and Danny in the confusion. They succeed at the very last moment. From a bridge with a view of the departing train, the couples can shout one last message to each other. Danny calls out to his Mollie to take good care of herself and the baby she's expecting and Jean lets Matt understand that everything will be fine between them.

production

Production notes, filming

Scotney 'New' Castle, one of the film locations

The film was produced by CIP Filmproduktion GmbH, Joseph Janni and Lester Persky Production, distributed by Universal Pictures . The shooting took place in Hyde, in Oldham , in Stockport and in Stalybridge in Greater Manchester in England as well as in the Grand Hotel in Llandudno in Wales (where Helen and John take their trip) and in Llandudno itself, furthermore at Scotney Castle / Kent (Helens Castle ). Further recordings were made in the area of ​​the Saddleworth Moors and in Moore in the Cheshire district (canal scene), furthermore in the county of Lancashire (cemetery and shop as well as on site) and at the Keighley Railway Station in Keighley in West Yorkshire (train station). The film was also shot at Twickenham Film Studios in St Margarets in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . The shooting took place from April 10th to August 1978.

John Schlesinger, who always wanted to make such a film, had to put it on hold until he had proven how successful it could be. The British film, which was originally 165 minutes long, was funded by the United States and West Germany. The long version did not come out in theaters. Schlesinger's first choice for the role of Matt was Jeff Bridges . Only when he declined did the role go to Richard Gere. Lisa Eichhorn, American, faked a British accent so well that she got the role of Jean immediately. When it was found out that she was American, she was still allowed to keep the role.

The film had an estimated budget of $ 6 million. He grossed $ 3,931,010 in the greater United States.

Soundtrack

  • I'LL Be Seeing You by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal, sung by Anne Shelton
  • Run, Rabbit, Run by Noel Gay and Ralph T. Butler
  • I've Got Sixpence from Elton Box, Desmond Cox, and Lawrence Hall
  • Deep in the Heart of Texas by June Hershey and Don Swander
  • Offensive Preparations Behind the Lines by HM Farrar
  • There'll Always Be an England by Hugh Charles and Ross Parker
  • Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree by Sam H. Stept, Lew Brown and Charles Tobias
  • Argentine by Roger Bernstein and André Tabet
  • I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much) by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon
  • For Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven (played by Geoff on the piano)
  • After the Ball by Charles K. Harris (played during New Year's Eve)
  • Auld Lang Syne , traditional tune by Robert Burns (played during the Silver Ball)
  • Hands, Knees and Boomps-a-Daisy by Annette Mills (played during the Silverball)
  • Hokey Cokey , generally considered traditional but also attributed to Jimmy Kennedy
    (played during the Silver Ball)
  • An English Suite - Prelude by Hubert Parry (played during an orchestral rehearsal)
  • From Holberg's time aka Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg (played during the church concert)
  • The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended , text by John Ellerton with music
    attributed to Rev. Clement Cotteril Scholefield (sung at Moreton's funeral)

synchronization

publication

In the United States, the film premiered in New York on September 19, 1979. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Charity Premiere took place in London on November 1, 1979, before the general opening of November 2, 1979. In 1980 the film was released in the following countries: Italy (Milan), Finland, Australia, Denmark, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium (Ghent) and Colombia. In the Federal Republic of Germany it ran on April 4, 1980 under the title Yanks - Yesterday we were still strangers .

In 1981 the film premiered in Japan and the Philippines (Davao). The film was also released in the following countries: Brazil, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union, Spain and Turkey.

On June 4, 2007, Twentieth Century Fox released the film with a German soundtrack on DVD, running time: 133 minutes.

reception

criticism

Vincent Canby wrote in the New York Times on September 19, 1979 that the film was a war film that did not show battles, but rather how the war affected the people involved. He shows the events without vulgarity, sometimes euphemizing, but is absolutely authentic in numerous small details. Canby particularly praised the portrayal of Vanessa Redgrave, who gave her role humor and common sense.

Casimir Harlow wrote on the English page avforums , director John Schlesinger owes it to his films Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man that he was allowed to direct this war drama with Richard Gere. It was one of Schlesinger's wishes to make a war film without war. The story takes a long time to captivate, which is perhaps also due to the interaction between the well-known American actors and the well-known English actresses. The point of view of the film is unusual for a film from the Second World War , which was seldom considered, but should be treated with all due respect.

On the English site Blu-ray.com , the opinion is expressed that Yanks is one of those films that people either love as a real bomb or would quickly dismiss as uncomfortable. The strength of the film lies in the fact that it pulls you effortlessly into reality, which is mixed with melancholy. Schlesinger was a talented director who knew how to create a great atmosphere periodistically and make it the basis of the story he wanted to tell, and that is exactly how Yank's story was laid out. It is not easy to explain in simple terms what constitutes the quality of the film, but as soon as you see the film you will find that it is. The story is carried by a gentle lightness, mixed with uncertainty and fragility, which especially characterizes the figure of Eichhorn and makes her character look very real, and that is a strength that has an extremely positive effect on the equally authentic development of her relationship with the soldier impact. Gere, who looks very good, is also good, but more in a cinematic way and in the quiet moments, he lacks the kind of authenticity that Eichhorn has.

The Greek website Cine.gr gave the film the title “masterpiece”, which has something of the charm of the old cinema.

Cinema's Fringes certified the film to be “unusual” precisely because there were no images of war, at most in a newsreel that some of the actors would see in the local cinema. But that doesn't make the film less interesting. It is a gripping and well-made drama, if not entirely perfect, as the romantic entanglements at the center of the story are the weakest part of the film, with Richard Gere and Lisa Eichhorn being given by far the largest part of the film, though it is precisely this story of the three couple relationships that is least convincing. This could be due to the fact that there is simply no chemistry between Gere and Eichhorn that would give reason to believe that they could have become a couple in reality. Finally, it is noted that Yanks was a flop when it was first released and has been a relatively little-noticed film since then. However, like a good wine, it has aged over the years and, despite its slight weaknesses, is worth the money and its running time of over two hours.

The British side filmuforia is talking about a fascinating social drama with English sensitivities of the local characters that would contrast eloquently with the more relaxed and playful US soldiers. Yanks is peppered with peppy romantic moments and amusing interludes. Schlesinger's film is ambitious and yet intimate. It is crucial that the drama focuses on human perspectives and does not look for battle scenes in order to clarify the romantic and social ties between the locals and the US soldiers. Richard Gere is particularly charismatic in his role as Sgt. Matt Dyson.

Horror Cult Films was enthusiastic about the film, which shows something that is not shown often, namely the mixture of cultures and what happens when soldiers from one country are stationed in another country, even if they speak the same language. The film is also wonderfully warm and poignantly nostalgic and one of the most romantic films of its time. In contrast to his earlier films, Schlesinger uses a rather casual style of directing and the cameraman Dick Bush resists the temptation to cover the film with a pink sheen. If the film gets any attention today, it is probably because of Richard Gere in an early role. His somewhat melancholy but very sensitive soldier is immediately sympathetic. Most noticeable, however, is Eichhorn in her role. You play many moments with wonderful subtlety. Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody would get their own moments to shine as Jeans parents. Vanessa Redgrave is of course great and easily plays William Devane, who above all grins a lot.

Every '70S Movie, on the other hand, found little in the way of the film and found that the film's characterization and plot were not compelling enough to warrant the film's bloated two hours and eighteen minutes. With its desperate farewell scenes, tender, romantic encounters and the soundtrack soaked in violins, the film is made intelligently but also a syrupy melodrama, and there is not a bit of battlefield action in the film. And although Eichhorn is at the height of her youthful beauty, she just doesn't have the magnetism required for a film of this size.

According to the lexicon of international film , the "initially impressive presentation of basic behavior [...] is slipping more and more to a very private level" and "is making the film staged in the conventional style less convincing".

Awards

awards received

Nominations

Golden Globes , USA 1980

    • Golden Globe : Nominees: Lisa Eichhorn in the category "Best Actress in a Drama"
    • Golden Globe : Nominees: Lisa Eichhorn in the category "Best Young Actress"

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Yanks (1979) see filmuforia.co.uk (English). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  2. ↑ a b Yanks filming locations in the IMDb
  3. ↑ a b Yanks (1979) see horrorcultfilms.co.uk (English). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  4. ↑ Yanks - Yesterday we were still strangers Fig. DVD case (in the picture: Richard Gere, Chick Vennera)
  5. ↑ Vincent Canby : Yanks In: The New York Times . September 19, 1979. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  6. ↑ Yanks - A different kind of conflict see avforums.com, November 30, 2018 (English). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  7. ↑ Yanks see blu-ray.com (English) including trailer. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  8. ↑ Yanks (1979) see cine.gr (Greek). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  9. ↑ Yanks (1979) see cinemasfringes.com (English) including the original film trailer. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  10. ↑ Yanks (1979) see every70smovie.blogspot.com (English). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  11. ↑ Yanks - We were strangers yesterday. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used