Thursday Movie Picks-Rescues

I'm sorry I haven't been around much to visit like I love to do. August has been blecchhhh actually. I have often been seeing 6 people per day at work, falling behind as a person was on a vacation and another suffered a heart attack. I consider the lady who had the heart attack a friend. It was mild but it was not the first nor will it be her last, according to her Dr. The worst was that my mom was taken to the hospital on Sunday and has pneumonia. Now, the great news is she is back at her long term care facility and her oxygen levels are back to what they were before she became ill and she is beginning to eat. My brother really was there for my mom but she did suffer a delirium state Monday morning and it left him shaken. She couldn't breathe and was scared, anxious and angry and would not settle down. She had bouts of this and we did our best to calm her down. I had to work since I am the only one to see clients but then would see my mom afterwards. I came home exhausted and now I need to be near a bathroom as my tummy is not happy. It's just been....sad.

So, in a little honour to my mom, who lived through WW2 and was part of the German Resistance, gave food every day to a man behind a fence at some "work" facility and, right after the war, her parents took in a Jewish man, gave him clothes and food even though they were also starving, I am picking 3 films that took place during WW2. It is all about the rescue this week and one could go in so many directions. Head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to see what the others have chosen...

1. THE PIED PIPER-1942

I have not seen this film in a long time but would love to revisit it. It also stars one of my favourite actors, Monty Woolley as a man who got stuck behind enemy lines during WW2  and wants to get back to England. A couple request he take their 2 children with him to safety even though he hates kids. He agrees and before he knows it, he has more children in tow trying to get to freedom. His hard heart softens as he realizes the children depend on him. Monty is great and was up for an Oscar for this role. A great gem that has been forgotten.

2. THE BIG LIFT-1948

I bet few remember the aftermath of WW2  and  the nightmare that followed when the Russians took over a large part of Germany. My mom remembers to this day and says that was when her true hell began. This broke Germany up into 2 parts East and West  and the centre was Berlin. Russia tried to starve the city of Berlin to take over the city. The States, realizing that this was a key to keeping the world free plus could not abide the German people from starving after already suffering multiple bombings during the war, rape, murder and pillage by the Russians, started an air lift program. US bombers flew over the city and would drop food so the city would not starve. One man, seeing the small children at the Templehof airport, started "Operation Little Vittles" dropping chocolate and candy. My mom's best friend, Brigitte, was 10 years old and was one of those kids who waited for the candy. Due to the U. S. etc, Berlin was not totally taken over and Russia did not take all of Germany. This film is about this airlift and also threw in romance and intrigue. It's a very good film and worth watching. Sorry for the more history less film plot but the 2 work together.

3. WALLENBERG: A HERO'S STORY-1985

I had never heard of this man until I watched this TV movie (Yup, I'm cheating) that was shown in 2 parts. This is one man that I consider one of the most admirable and heroic people ever! Richard Chamberlain played Wallenberg, a Swedish man from a rich family, who took it upon himself to rescue tens of thousands of Jews by issuing faked documents, bribing officials and at, one point, literally jumping onto a boxcar handing out documents to the Jewish people held inside the boxcar, opening the car and letting them walk while gun fire was shot over his head. The Arrowcross men never stopped him and were stunned by his courage. The sad part is the Russians took Wallenberg after the war and never disclosed, to this day why except some feeble attempt to say Wallenberg was a spy. They say he died in 1947 but many prisoners from the Soviet Gulag mentioned a Swedish man held prisoner until the 1970's and even the 1980's. I consider this an excellent movie and hope you can watch it one day. I had to choose this man whom I truly admire and consider him a hero.

I feel guilty for not choosing Schindler's List which is also heroic. What rescue films would you choose?