Reach for Glory 1963 | Boys in movies [BiM]

Reach for Glory (1963)

Reach for Glory 1963
| 1h 26 min | Drama, War | April 1962 (UK)

Storyline:

During World War II, teenage boys in a small English town are consumed with jingoism and brutal war games, hoping dearly that the war won’t end before they can fight in it. John, one of the younger members, is increasingly torn between these peer group values and his deepening homoerotic friendship with Mark, a gentle Jewish refugee whom his gang has ostracized as a sissy and a coward. Based on the novel “The Custard Boys”, by John Rae. Reminiscent of “Lord of the Flies” in depicting adolescent cruelty growing unchecked to tragic extremes.

User review:

This is a disturbing film on a difficult subject, handled extremely well by all involved, particularly the young actors. Although this film is capable of several interpretations, I’d guess it’s intended as a plea to adults not to force our children to grow up too fast. This film hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves and isn’t shown very often in the U.S., but it’s well worth looking for.

Director: Philip Leacock
Writers: Jud Kinberg, John Kohn | 2 more credits »
Stars: Michael Anderson Jr., Oliver Grimm, Martin Tomlinson
Country: UK
Language: English
Release Date: April 1962 (UK)
Also Known As: En pos de la gloria
Filming Locations: Southwold, Suffolk, England.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056397/