Film Review: Blockade (1938)

Hollywood is known for its authors traditionally having their politics set firmly on the Left. Many of them have never shied from expressing their leftist beliefs in their works, even in times when doing so was quite risky or counterproductive. Results of such efforts weren’t always good, even from mere propaganda standpoint, like in the case of Blockade, 1938 film directed by William Dieterle, known as one of the rare Hollywood films about Spanish Civil War made while that conflict was still raging on.

The plot begins in Spain in Spring 1936, in a time when a country is still at peace. Protagonist is Marco (played by Henry Fonda), farmer from Spanish region somewhere near Mediterranean coast who, together with his best friend Luis (played by Leo Carillo), a shepherd, meets beautiful foreigner named Norma (played by Madeleine Carroll) who just had car accident. He drives her to nearby town and hopelessly falls in love with her. She has other concerns, namely the meeting with her father, White Russian émigré Basil (played by Vladimir Sokoloff) who travels the world, nominally as an art dealer but actually working for mercenary spy Andre Gallinet (played by John Halliday). There is soon plenty of work for them because few months later war erupts. During initial battles Marco with his rousing speech inspires fellow peasants to stand and fight and prevent enemy from overrunning strategically important city of Castelmare. For this feat he gets ranks of lieutenant and new task of rounding up and eliminating enemy spies. That would get him back in contact with Norma who very reluctantly aids Gallinet in his evil plans to prevent ship to bring food and other precious supplies to civilians in besieged Castelmare.

Blockade was produced by Walter Wanger, producer known for championing various liberal and progressive causes (despite, ironically, producing Gabriel Over the White House, one of the rare pro-fascist films ever to be made in Hollywood). The real driving force behind the film was screenwriter John Howard Lawson, card-carrying member of Communist Party USA, an organisation which officially supported left-wing government of Spanish Republic, aided by Soviet Union, in its war against right-wing rebels led by General Franco and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Wanger and Lawson, however, had serious obstacle in expressing their sympathies directly, because MPAA Production Code and Hays Office, led by Catholic activist Joseph Breen, prevented Hollywood films from getting involved into contemporary international politics. The only way to obtain MPAA certificate was to pretend that they were neutral in the conflict and they did so by erasing any references, uniforms, insignia or any detail that would point to actual warring sides. As a result, Marco could have been fighting for Republicans as well as Nationalists. More perceptive viewers could have, on the other hand, easily guess that Marco supported the former, based on taking the side of ordinary farmers and against the latter, who, like the usually unseen enemy in the film, practised terror bombing of civilian targets, much to the horror of more sensitive segments of international public. The latter segments of the film, that depict suffering of innocent women and children in bombed out and besieged city, are clearly intended to evoke sympathy for the cause of Spanish Republic.

Wanger and Lawson, however, failed in their task. The main reason is in the overcooked and complicated script that meanders between war film, spy thriller, cheap melodrama and preachy sermon. Dialogues are at times awful and the script (which had uncredited contribution by famous crime writer James M. Cain and playwright Cliff Odetts) is also sloppy with some details, like Marco and couple locations in the film having Italian instead of Spanish names. Character of Luis who was obviously designed as some sort of comic relief, speaks with heavy Spanish accent unlike the rest of the cast that speaks with British or American accent, thus wrecking the suspension of disbelief and turning Luis almost cartoonish. Even worse is introduction of British reporter Edward Grant (played by Reginald Denny) who begins as another comic relief only to suddenly turned into voice of conscience, prophetically warning that the bombing of Spanish cities is the fate that awaits cities like London. On the other hand, experienced director William Dieterle does what he can with the material and does solid job with studio sets and manages to depict war action, that involves air raids and submarine attacks, with combination of decent special effects and stock footage. Madeleine Carroll, one of the most glamorous actresses of its time, tries very hard with her role, despite being burdened with terrible dialogue and often tempted to start overracting. John Halliday, British actor specialised in the role of suave aristocrats, is effective as a slick and dangerous villain. But those efforts are compromised by Henry Fonda, then young and relatively unknown actor who delivers one of the worst performances of his career. He is simply unconvincing as Spaniard or a farmer and lacks chemistry with Carroll. Scene in which he delivers seemingly rousing speech that would make peasants stand and fight looks almost self-parodic. The final scene, during which his character addresses camera and asks world to intervene and stop the war completes the impression of Blockade as a failure.

Despite producers’ efforts to avoid controversy, theatres showing Blockade were picketed by Knights of Columbus and other Catholic organisation over films’ pro-Communist or anti-Catholic bias. Lawson nevertheless got nomination for Oscar for Bets Original Story. By the time awards were to be given, the war in Spain ended with Franco’s victory. Lawson nevertheless learned from his mistakes and Blockade, like Spanish Civil War itself, proved to be valuable lesson for Second World War, conflict in which Hollywood, including Lawson, provided propaganda more openly and successfully. His Communist beliefs, however, brought his career to end in 1947 when he, as member of Hollywood Ten, became one of the first victims of McCarthyst purges of Hollywood. Even apolitical Dieterle had his career affected over suspicions for Communism promoted in Blockade. This film, regardless of someone’s political stance, definitely wasn’t worth such trouble and those who watch it today are likely to see it as mere curiosity than good piece of cinema from Classic Hollywood.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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