Douglas Sirk, the meister of melodrama, returned to his native Germany for this gem of a film from 1959. The story of a young man on leave from the Third Reich during the final months of World War Two, and his growing disillusionment with the cause he is fighting for, A Time To Love and A Time To Die is as epic a tale of love and death as the title would suggest.
While it is a fairly basic initial premise, the film offers a much deeper subtext than one would expect with such over the top fare, with the conceits explored being incredibly daring and somewhat controversial for its time. The mere fact that the film is seen entirely from that of the side of the German army is polemic in itself, yet within the bold premise there is an unflinching truth seeping through. My favourite scene, at least in terms of getting the conflicting point of the attitudes towards the role of war in international affairs is dealt with most articulately when the subject of a "honeymoon" crops up; as a young wife asks her new husband which countries would welcome them for their honeymoon vacation, the gradual revelation as to the huge impact that the war has had on their future is incredibly well portrayed through the performance of the bride.
John Gavin, who was perhaps best known for his role as Sam Loomis in Hitchcock's Psycho and would later go onto play french special agent OSS-117 in the 1970's (see here for my review of the characters most recent outing) puts in a fine performance as our hero, Ernst Graeber, if not being a tad too all-american for a germanic protagonist. Swiss actress Liselotte Pulver is strong as the women graeber falls for. By not using star names in either of the lead roles Sirk is able to maintain an authentic appeal to proceedings. The support cast carries many a memorable role, with special mention going to Kurt Meisel as Heini, the piano playing drunken officer.
The locations utilised are absolutely outstanding, with the film looking incredible in 70mm Cinemascope. The edges of the frames are lodged with the perfectly judged placement, proving each shot to be a showcase of master direction. Sirk really understood how to frame a shot. the worn torn streets of 1940's Germany have never looked so great, with the daylight air raid being of particular interest.
A Time To Love and A Time To Die was released in 1959, the same year in which the French New Wave commenced, the same year in which Ed Wood produced Plan 9 from Outer Space (showing that absolutely anyone could make a film!) and the very same year in which transvestites became the thing of commercial comedy in Some Like It Hot. A Time To Love and A Time To Die doesn't feel like a part of this period of cinema, it reminds of the sort of film that was produced en masse in the 1930's or early 40's, it harks back to a more innocent time, at least tonally. Yes, there is definately something very contemporary within the piece, mainly for the reasons mentioned, but by and large it doesnt feel like it belongs in the late 1950's. Yet this is not a criticism, more of an observation, but the picture definately feels like a product of another time.
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