Basket (Widescreen)

I hoped it would be good; when I finished watching, I was just relieved that it wasn't any worse than it was. It is not a complete waste of time, but I can't say I was left with any deeper insights into the human condition, although I know this movie was trying mighty hard to send a message.

I did appreciate the focus on anti-German discrimination during World War I, which is something we tend to forget about. However, most of that discrimination was focused on recent immigrants and naturalized US citizens who were obviously foreign-born. War orphans, I seriously doubt, entered into the mix. Logistically speaking, I cannot figure out how American troops were in a position to be killing German civilians on German soil.

Also the story of the discrimination is told in a rather ham-fisted style, as we are beat over the head, again and again, with the fact that the dad hates these orphans because his own son died due to Germans, etc etc etc. How many times do we have to have this illustrated to us? Many scenes seem to be simply repetitive.

The subplot, featuring a fictional German opera, also beats you over the head with clumsy, all-too-obvious symbolism. Yes, yes, we all get that the plot of the opera mirrors the events unfolding in the town. The faux-Wagnerian music is almost impossible to bear at times.

The ending of the movie was also a bit too corny for my taste. Everything seemed to wrap up a bit too tidily. I suppose you have to make the audience feel good.

This wasn't a terrible movie; however, with some changes in the story line and some tighter editing, it could have been a rather moving little movie.

The film places itself somewhere in the late summer through early fall of 1918 (before the Influenza outbreaks in October 1918 [for the Pacific Northwest region]) and before the Armistice in November 1918. The central characters are two orphan refugees from Germany who are sent to live with the local preacher/doctor. The townspeople of course didn't wholly welcome their new-orphaned neighbors. The movie plays itself out between the one-room schoolhouse and the farm families and their struggles to cope with social, cultural, and economic strains resulting from the times and the war.

The "war to end all wars" was a blessing and a curse to American farmers. This film represents both ends of the spectrum. Sadly, WWI proved more of a curse than a blessing. Farmers, if they planned and timed themselves well, without throwing themselves into debt, could make a substantial amount of money on wheat and other agricultural related products. For most farmers, however, the war brought about extreme labor shortages, increased inflation, increased debt and greater reliance on mortgages. Socially and culturally the war brought about unchecked patriotism that resulted in hostilities towards German Americans and German war refugees, increased censorship and generally, an increased role of the Federal Government. The war took its greatest toll on farm families (and communities) who sent they young "doughboys" to war. If they returned at all, they returned with immense social, mental and physical scaring.

In the end, after watching this film, you'll come out of the experience emotionally moved, historically aware and personally enriched.