Hope And Glory [Blu-ray] [1987] [Region Free]

arrived fast good film but this is the rich peoples side of it ,I was bombed out in 1941 we had to go and live with my nan I was 5 years old at the time my nan lived in flats just off blackwall tunnel I had to get the rations for my nan and run the gauntlet of the other kids who would stop you to steal your rations we lived on bread and jam,sometimes the better off would ask us if we wanted some dripping that's the fat off a roast beef this was a luxuryfor us,yes I lived in London during the war how many people are in their 80s remember it

I saw this with my late Dad and Nana when it was brand new in the cinema. The two of them saw out the duration of the war together whilst Grandad was off fighting in the desert and so I was keen to get their "stamp" of approval. Was it authentic?It passed with flying colours! Highlights for Dad were the "farting" in the bomb shelter (a sound created by inserting your finger inside the gas mask and blowing out) and the "let's smash things up" scene which mirrored his own shenanigans with a gang of young boys who spent their formative years with very little male oversight. The only criticism he had was the depiction of bomb sites that he said were always cleaned up pronto. I'll never forget. As we left the cinema he turned to my Nana and said "What DID you do with my shrapnel collection?" Haha, still a kid at heart.Dad always introduced this film to people with the words: "This was my war". Thank you Mr Boorman. You made a beautiful film.

After 33 years since I watched this film with subtitles in a cinema in Japan with my father, I watched this again. It was a pleasant memory with him, who past away last year. I only remembered a few scenes but I did remember the spirit of the film very well. Back then I was struck by the joy of the film, despite being about the war. It's totally unthinkable to have a film like this one in my home country, Japan. Of course, a big reason was the fact that Japan was defeated, while Britain won. But I think there was something else. I think this film, as well as Arthur Ransom's books, founded my view about British people. And perhaps, this film was one of the reasons why I was attracted to this country. This time I enjoyed it more than I did 33 years ago!

When this film was released in 1987 I was coming of age too and I could really relate to the themes explored. Struggling to make sense of a quite war torn world. We have all been there, well, I have. This movie encapsulates and captures this theme perfectly. Also the 1940s too. A very evocative, moving and quite beautiful film. The acting is just sensitive, nuanced, and understated, especially from the lead character of Billy. Played superbly by Sebastian Rice-Edwards. Amazing! A quite extraordinary film which is so often overlooked and unappreciated. Hardly surprising as it is rarely shown on television. I have no idea why. It's timeless themes could very easily be understood and appreciated by any thoughtful, intelligent and also sensitive young person today. Mind you, young people today aren't quite like they once were. Could explain why film struggles to get audience.

Movies about World War II are about ten a penny, but this Oscar-nominated effort manages to escape the pack by being much smaller in scope. It focuses on the life of a small boy called Bill and his family, as they deal with such minor setbacks as having the father sent away to fight, strict rationing and... oh yes, having their house destroyed through fire. Oops.I liked the way the film focused on the minutiae of every day life, such as Bill's shrapnel collection and his family's various everyday problems, instead of trying to be something too overblown in scale.When Bill bowls his dad out with a googly during cricket, it may not sound like much, but it's a truly emotional moment in context. And when he grouchily returns to school after a wonderful summer by the river... well, I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I've never seen an expression flip so quickly as he approaches the gate.Truly 'life-affirming' in the way it shows that even through some of the most difficult periods in history there is light and love to be found if you look hard enough, 'Hope And Glory' succeeds at both conjuring up a feeling of wartime spirit as well as being a funny and moving movie in it's own right. 7/10