Man Hunt (1941)

Let's be realistic.

just watch it!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Fritz Lang made a riveting movie, here, which could be viewed on several levels. It starts with a world-famous British big-game hunter, Capt. Alan Thorndike (Walter Pidgeon), on vacation in Bavaria in 1939. Since his thrill is the stalk sport more than the kill, he stalks Hitler to his hideout and puts him in his gun site without trying to kill him. He then loads his gun with his finger ready to squeeze the trigger. But he is overtaken by Hitler's guards and brought to the headquarters of the Nazi Gestapo leader, Major Quive-Smith (George Sanders). Quive-Smith is also an avid hunter and speaks perfect English. When Thorndike is told to sign a letter as an English agent assigned to kill Hitler, he refuses and is tortured. After torture, he still refuses to sign the letter, so Quive-Smith decides to kill him by staging an accident: having him fall from a steep, deep cliff. But, Thorndike survives the fall and manages to become a stowaway--with the help of the cabin boy (played by Roddy McDowall)--on a Dutch ship bound for England. He is constantly chased, hidden, and hunted throughout the movie--first by Nazi spies, then by London police. It really doesn't matter if this movie was made as a propaganda film or not. It totally captivated me and held me in my seat to until the very end.Of interest to me is that this movie was released in the USA on 20 June 1941. Pearl Harbor was not attacked until 7 December 1941. So, at the time this movie was released in the US, the US had not officially entered the war.

Fritz Lang's timely thriller has Walter Pidgeon as an English playboy who, while hunting, contemplates assassinating Hitler. He's caught. Fearing undo publicity, the Nazis release him. Spiteful German officer George Sanders and his goons hunt him down in London. What is basically a chase film lacks the pacing of Hitchcock's best (FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, NORTH BY NORTHWEST) but it's nonetheless very satisfying. Pidgeon is exceptional, giving a typically solid performance and Sanders is never bad. John Carradine as an especially creepy henchman steals his few moments on screen. Lang does botch the casting of the female lead. Joan Bennett (usually extremely dependable) is way off base as a Cockney guttersnipe. Filmed on the Fox lot, but somehow capturing London in all its glorious fog by the great cinematographer Arthur Miller. Roddy McDowell is featured in an early role as a very resourceful young sailor who saves Pidgeon.

This is one of those over-dramatic films from the early forties that soon became a thing of the past ... thankfully! Seriously, compare this to Casablanca which came out about the same time and you can see an amazing difference! In short this film is quite simple ... which was completely driven home by that horrible ending !!! The musical score for the film stinks (blaring brass) and the chemistry between Pigeon and Bennett was horrific (who calls a sexy woman a little monkey). On the other hand the 2 main Nazis guys (Sanders & Carradine) were quite good ... and it was cool to see a very young Roddy McDowell. Finally the film lacks very little historical significance. Don't waste your time! 4/10

For this movie to make sense, you have to understand 2 things. First. the story takes place before England declares war on Germany. Second, at the time the action takes place, England is still appeasing Germany, so the main character would have to be extradited to Germany for his "crime". If you don't understand those 2 points, then you won't understand the overall film.I'm not sure which is stronger here -- the story or the actors. The story is simple -- big game hunter (Walter Pidgeon -- stalks Hitler as he might stalk big game, with no real intent to assassinate him. But then when he has the chance to shoot him, he tries, but is captured just before pulling the trigger. Nazi (George Sanders) has him tortured due to his refusing to sign a confession of his crime. Pidgeon is ultimately pushed off a cliff to make it appear as an accident, but survives the fall and escapes back to England. Sanders and another Nazi -- John Carradine -- stalk him back in England. Can he get away.Walter Pidgeon is superb here. I wonder if this might be his finest role. Joan Bennett, as the female lead...well, I found her very annoying here, and generally I felt she was a decent actress. George Sanders was a true class act, and he is also superb here as the relentless Nazi. John Carradine turns in an electric performance! Ahem. And the annoying young Roddy McDowall is along for the boat ride.I give this film a good, solid "7", and for a war movie (or in this case, a pre-war movie) that's pretty good for me. Recommended!