David Martin

A superb film. At first, younger viewers may think it is a black-and-white movie with manners and mannerisms long gone. But the story is at once ancient and modern, and emotional. As a post-war reviewer noted, it "instantly brings back the atmosphere of the war in Britain for anyone who was involved". That itself makes it a document of record for a whole generation. But with a writer like Terrence Rattigan at the helm, it is a masterclass in entertainment and storytelling.