Northwest Film Forum

Cavalcanti’s first dramatic feature, Went the Day Well?, tells the story of Bramley End, an idyllic village with a cast of typical Brits who, at first, seem almost to have walked out of an early Hitchcock comedy. When a troop of British soldiers arrive unannounced, the villagers go out of their way to be welcoming and helpful. When they realize that these are in fact German soldiers out to set up a post for the coming invasion of Britain things take a violent turn. Conceived and executed in a Britain where German invasion seemed imminent, this brilliant ensemble piece includes performances from Leslie Banks and C.V. France, and a first major role for Thora Hird.

"Undeservedly forgotten...[H]ome-front propaganda has rarely seemed so cutthroat or so cunning." —A.O. Scott, The New York Times