NR | 1 h 40 min | Drama | 1940
Frank Borzage’s prescient film, set in early 1930s Germany, stands out even in the subgenre of anti-fascism war films.
Academia loves and respects Professor Roth (Frank Morgan) for his distinguished contribution to science, teaching, and research. But with Hitler’s rise, Roth finds himself distinguished for another reason: being “non-Aryan” (Borzage’s code for Jew).
Martin Breitner (James Stewart) and Freya Roth (Margaret Sullavan), in “The Mortal Storm.” (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Roth’s wife Amelie, his stepsons Erich and Otto, his daughter Freya (Margaret Sullavan), his students Martin (James Stewart) and Fritz (Robert Young) love him, too. But Nazi propaganda around Aryan superiority polarizes Roth’s family and friends. Some pick a side; others are forced to….