Movie Review: How Green Was My Valley

This film won Best Picture in 1941. It was the least entertaining in the previous 4 years. Plus, it was in Black and White. And it was really long.

Interestingly, this movie beat out Citizen Kane, which the American Film Institute ranks as the best movie of all time.

It was an interesting memoir of a boy growing up in a Welsh coal mining community. He had 5 brothers and a sister. Part of the story involves his sister's love of a preacher, and that is a relationship that doesn't work out. Also, a couple of people die.

It is a movie about people starting a coal mining union, and there is some unemployment. The boy tries to get educated and gets made fun of and beat up, and he has to learn how to fight. Overall, I guess I fail to see the supposed greatness of the movie. I vote no to recommending this movie.

I should also mention, however that there were many Christian and Scripture references. There are several church members who the preacher accuses of attending only out of fear of wrath, and they do not show the love of Christ. The preacher helps the boy to walk again, and encourages him to have faith. He tells the boy that his sickness was a blessing, because he could spend the time forming his inner identity and his faith. Plus, the reason the preacher declined to court the daughter was because he felt he was called to the ministry and did not make much money, and he could not bear to see her in poverty.