Millions Like Us (1943)

People are voting emotionally.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

"Millions Like Us" is an awfully good film because it is so incredibly ordinary and simple. That's because it's goal is to provide a snapshot of what life was like for seemingly ordinary women during WWII. It follows one woman in particular, but you also see quite a bit about the other women and their lives as well--and is an invaluable documentary-like look into the WWII era.The film begins just before WWII. Celia (Patricia Roc) and her family are living a relatively mundane and occasionally annoying lives. You don't really feel particularly connected to them or care about these folks at this portion of the film. However, after the war begins, Celia is called up for service--which she is eager to do, as she hates her mundane life with her parents. Unfortunately, she is NOT called up to the women's military service but is sent across the country to work in a war production plant. While she is very disappointed, this is a great thing to focus on, since this is the sort of job MOST British (and American) working women did during the war. I could say a lot more about what occurs to Celia, but it's better you just see it for yourself. Very well done, high on realism, charming as well as sad--well worth seeing. Plus, I loved the fact that repeatedly the film COULD have been jingoistic, extraordinary and ultra-nationalistic but chose instead the more subtle and realistic route instead.

I first came across this little gem, whilst flicking through the channels on a rainy winters day, suffering with a rather nasty strain of flu. At first i thought it was just another lame wartime romance, that the TV channel usually churns out every afternoon. But on second glance it was actually quite good! Obviously its a blatant piece of British propaganda, aimed at all the people working in factories in the war. A kind of slap on the back if you will, but what i found it to be was a fantastic slice of nostalgia and class issues of the time, which is brought together in a heart warming family drama with a slightly comical look at 1940s life.

The basis of this film may be spine stiffening patriotism, but don't write it off on that basis alone.The theme is about the sacrifices made by the English during WWII, and the impact of the war on their lives. So many people ended up having their lives changes in ways that they didn't like, but the demand was to carry on. The story follows one family, and particularly the eldest daughter, who leaves home to work in a regional factory, meets and marries a young pilot.Sounds trite? The film has a surprising balance of drama and war-time humour, and will be enjoyed by Beethoven fans. He should get a credit.

Millions Like Us is one of the few films made during the 2nd World War which deals with women factory workers. When Celia gets her call-up papers she wants to do something glamorous like joining the ATS. Instead she is sent to a munitions factory.This movie is part love story and part propaganda-flic. The propaganda elements are more subtle than in many 40s films eg 'The Next of Kin'. However the life of the factory girl is glamourized. This is Celia's escape from the domestic drudgery of caring for her elderly father and allows her to find true love. Also the togetherness of the factory girls is emphasised throughout the film. The contrast between shots of Celia demure and alone that we see at the start of the film and the final scene of her as an integral part of the group is marked. Not only is munitions work vital to the war effort, we are being told, but it also provides companionship, an outlet and fulfillment for women.A film about and for women in the workplace may sound like a step forward from the usual patriarchal portrayal of the female sex. Yet, at its heart this is a deeply conservative film. Ultimately Celia finds fulfillment with and through a man and whilst the companionship of women is important, all the female characters are searching for a husband.However, the Directors should be applauded for having done a good job in making an enjoyable, informative propaganda film.By the way, look out for the shots of Patricia Roc's feet when she is talking to her husband. Is this an erotic charge or fear of chilblains? Watch the movie and let us know what you think.