Cinema and education: This is my land

Actualidad Cine

2 minutes

Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara in a scene from 'This Land Is Mine'.

Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara in a scene from the mythical 'This land is mine'.

New entry to talk about another movie classic related to education. And we dress up to talk about "This is my land", a real gem of cinema, directed by the famous director Jean Renoir. The film is not fully educational, at least not to use, the lesson is not directed for the students, but for the whole society, there is nothing ... With a script by Jean Renoir and Dudley Nichols, the 1943 film stars : Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, George Sanders, Walter Slezak, Kent Smith, Una O'Connor, Philip Merivale and George Coulouris, among others.

'This is my land' is a portrait of how the German occupation affects different people in society. Arthur is a shy and very cowardly French teacher. But he regains his dignity with the speech he gives on freedom during his trial for a murder he did not commit. Louise Martin realizes that freedom will live through the education of young people. His brother takes part in sabotage against the Nazis. George Lambert, a train conductor, collaborates with the Nazis thinking that this is how he will achieve peace and security ...

The film opens with a cowardly teacher, unsure of himself and still living, despite his advanced age, under his mother's skirts. The typical one that his students do not respect and even throw paper balls at him when he turns around. Unable even to confess to his beloved the love he feels for her. Little did I think this teacher was going to teach me, but the film progresses and shows us the evolution of Laughton until he became a hero, giving us a whole class on democracy and freedom.
And it is precisely because of that lesson on freedom and democracy that I find interesting, and why 70 years later (it is said soon) the film is still totally current, being a cry against totalitarian ideologies and for freedom. Freedom, which unfortunately still remains private for many peoples. Undoubtedly a jewel that is worth seeing for being a hymn to freedom, dignity, human rights, for its anti-war character and its exposition of the ideals that should uphold humanity. For all this, it seems to me the most pedagogical.

More information - Cinema and education: 'Heritage of the wind'

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