This movie had all the ingredients for an unusual movie about World War Two, but failed to do so. Firstly, the star of the film plays a woman adopted by a wealthy landed aristocracy family, but we never know who she really is other than that she is strikingly pretty. She has a baby, but who was the father and why when the baby is briefly kidnapped does the baby disappear completely from the plot? Secondly, the main plot is about British aristocrats who decide to support Hitler in their delusions that it will protect their positions and places. The movie never really solidifies what their move to fascism is all about. One character accused the adopted woman of being "part gypsy", but this only confuses things leading one to believe that the fascists have a lot more motives than protecting their self interest. Thirdly, it is never explained to what extent these fascists have power to control a whole rural area of England. The heroine cannot escape the fascists, which include her brother, but it is never explained why. How deep is the fascist conspiracy? At one point the heroine flees but British soldiers capture her and one soldier says that habeas corpus has been suspended and the soldiers can imprison her indefinitely. Missed opportunity to suggest that overreaction may have helped the fascists take advantage of the situation and be more powerful. Lastly, it is never explained at what time this teenager is looking into what happened back in 1939. It is because his mother was now taking care of the heroine, but we do not not even see the face of the teenager's mother's. What was her motivation in finding out what happened in 1939. Bill Nighy was great. He plays a seemingly very nice and harmless man who is really leading the fascists. I also liked the beginning where an inspiring politician stresses the point of confronting Hitler and supporting Churchill. Even if he was not unknowingly speaking to a group of fascists, it compellingly showed how the perceptions of World War Two changed over time. In 1939, it was still sort of a partisan issue between the Labour and Conservative Party. Many people remembered the horrors of World War One and were anxious about getting into another war. Overall, a good movie, but a lot unexplained. Why were all the animals being killed? I think I remember reading something about this, but the movie does not explain it to the audience at all. Was the local vet in collusion with the fascists or just obeying government orders? The fascists we're a really menacing and creepy bunch, but the movie does not provide much historical basis and evidence so the audience can be more engaged.

Glorious 39 is an engaging atmospheric conspiracy thriller. The story unfolds in a very involving manner keeping the suspense intact until the very last frame. Tension is really well maintained through out the movie, as soon as the story kicks and the paranoia sets in it just increases and deepens with each frame until the final credit rolls.As the lead Romola Garai gives this gripping piece of work its intensity. She never hits a false note and is the key reason because of which the paranoia and tension are so incredibly palpable.Glorious 39 is period piece and a engaging conspiracy thriller, that is narrated in a old-school manner of film-making were the script complements the visuals and the performances lends in to make the narration even more engaging.

I enjoyed this movie because it took a turn I wasn't expecting when the family started acting strangely. I didn't start to think about the plot holes till it was over--I kept thinking it would all come clear. But I gotta admit it didn't make sense. (1) Anne was adopted. Then we learn she was a gypsy. The English have always been so class conscious that an upper class person hardly speaks to anyone except those in their circle, so I find it impossible to believe they would take a Roma child into their family as a full member. (2) Before the war started, England was divided on their opinion of going to war. This is easily documented in any history book about WW 11. Some people wanted the war, some people didn't, some were sympathetic to Hitler (The Duke and Duchess of Windsor), and some just wanted him to go away. (3) At that time, (like now) the opinions of young women were regarded lightly. What they had to say did not account for much. Especially in politics, they were ignored. In view of (1) (2)and (3), please someone tell me why the Keyes family went to so much trouble, murder, lies, deception, cruelty to animals, and darn near killing Anne, just because she might hold a different opinion on the war. When her father was explaining it all to her, all he could come up with was she was a Roma (gypsy) and didn't fall in with the families' opinion of the war. It's pretty darn strange and puzzling to me. What did I miss? She wasn't political at all till they started their odd behavior.

Plot: On the eve of WWII, an English aristocrat stumbles on a plot involving her family and the appeasement of Hitler.This is the sort of British film that leaves you in despair as to the state of our film industry. It is long, ponderous, badly written, badly made, badly acted, the plot is risible, and nobody went to the cinema to watch it (with good reason). For a thriller there are no thrills (indeed, it is soporific). Many good British actors (and some rubbish ones) give a very poor showing (and in the case of Christopher Lee, are barely in it). And for a supposedly intelligent story there is very little intelligence: the conspiracy is stupid, nearly everyone gets bumped off without any hue and cry, and the ending is so trite that it's laughable. It is, in short, embarrassing to watch. Essentially it is another left- wing (and tax-payer funded) attack on the British aristocracy and their involvement in appeasement (even though they were quite right that the Second World War meant the end of Britain as a great power). Unsurprisingly, I don't think I've ever seen a film about how British Communists, under orders from Moscow, spent the entirety of 1939-41 actually on the side of the Nazis - but then they meant well, didn't they?...Frankly, this is a vanity project for a writer whose best years are behind him, but who keeps getting money shoved his way by an idiotic (mono)cultural elite. One to avoid like the plague.