Watch The Angel With the Trumpet

The Angel With the Trumpet is a 1950 British drama film directed by Anthony Bushell, starring Eileen Herlie, Basil Sydney, and Norman Wooland. It is based on a novel of the same name by Ernst Lothar, which is about the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The film depicts the life of an aristocratic family in pre-World War I Austria. The head of the family, Karl von Hohenried (Basil Sydney), is a wealthy and respected industrialist. He is married to a beautiful and sophisticated woman named Marianne (Eileen Herlie), and they have two children, Margit (Mimi Pollak) and Rudi (Adrianne Allen).

The story begins with the family celebrating Margit’s engagement to a young army officer, Lieutenant Erich von Steuben (Robert Beatty). Meanwhile, political tensions are growing in Austria, as different ethnic groups and nationalist movements are demanding greater autonomy or independence from the central government. Karl, who is of German descent, is a staunch supporter of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and dismisses these demands as unpatriotic or subversive.

However, his views are challenged by Rudi, who has become a socialist and sympathizes with the workers’ struggles. Rudi gets involved in a strike at one of his father’s factories and is arrested by the police. Margit, who is secretly in love with Erich’s brother, Hermann (Norman Wooland), visits Rudi in prison and pleads for his release. Rudi is eventually freed, but he decides to leave Austria for Switzerland, where he can pursue his political ideals without risking his family’s reputation and safety.

As the war breaks out, the family is scattered and their fortunes decline. Karl loses most of his wealth and influence, while Marianne and Margit struggle to survive in Vienna, facing food shortages, air raids, and the threat of Russian invasion. Hermann, who is a pacifist and opposes the war, is sent to the Eastern front as a medical officer but is captured by the Russians and sent to a prison camp.

The film follows their separate paths and shows how they cope with the challenges of war and displacement. It also portrays the changing social and political landscape of Austria, as the Habsburg dynasty falls and a new republic emerges. The title of the film refers to a scene in which Margit, who is an amateur musician, plays a trumpet and imagines herself as an angel calling for peace and harmony.

The Angel With the Trumpet is a well-acted and well-directed film that captures the mood and atmosphere of a crucial period in European history. It depicts the struggles and dilemmas of a privileged family caught in the midst of larger conflicts and forces. It also raises timeless questions about identity, loyalty, and justice, and invites the viewer to reflect on the meaning of war and peace. The film is notable for its authentic costumes and settings, which recreate the elegance and grandeur of imperial Vienna, as well as the starkness and devastation of wartime Vienna. It also features some memorable musical sequences, including a waltz by Josef Strauss and a choral piece by Anton Bruckner.

In summary, The Angel With the Trumpet is a classic film that deserves to be rediscovered and appreciated for its historical and artistic value. It is a poignant and thought-provoking drama that explores universal themes of love, loss, and hope in a time of turmoil and uncertainty.

The Angel With the Trumpet is a 1950 drama with a runtime of 98 hours. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2.