How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Not just a movie with a Coming-of-Age narrative, but ย a splendid portrayal of times long gone. ย How Green Was My Valley exceeds any expectations one may have towards a film released back in 1941.

With a story presentedย in memoir fashion by an adultย protagonist reflecting on his youthful days growing up in a coal-mining town in Wales, in timeless fashion this classic Hollywood film delivers a cinematic experience as rewarding as the one people enjoy when readingย a great novel.

Although the narratorโ€™s focus is his boyhood thoughts and emotions aboutย the significance of previous experiences for his adult self, the portrayal of earlier events and people is so poignant that viewers have no choice but to deeply involve themselves with his story. And what a story itย is — filled with wisdom, insights and a tint of bitter sweet nostalgia.

“Perhaps it is foolish to think a child can fall in love, but I am the child I was โ€“ nobody knows how I felt, except only me”

Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall

Yet the quality of the narrative, and the dialogue within it, is only the beginning – for How Green is My Valley offers an impressive array of other qualities that turns it into a cinematic masterpiece: from its beautiful black and white cinematography, to the skillful use of lighting that guidesย the attention of the viewer, toย the expressive looks of the young Roddy McDowall as Huw Morgan, the boy protagonist through whose perspective the story is told.

Despite anย unusually lengthy duration of nearly two hours, I wasn’t bored for a moment. Like the best Coming-of-Age stories, the narrative addressed universal issues like first love, first days at school, bullying and many others in a unique manner devoid of clichรฉs. Furthermore, the humorous scenes within it are fully capable of brightening one’s day, just asย the grimmer ones takeย their toll on one’s emotions.

Scene from How Green Was My Valley
Scene from How Green Was My Valley

There are few a imperfections present, such as the idealization of the “old days”ย (I find it hard to believe that miners sang when going into the underground pits), or the fact that the main protagonist never really ages on screen, but those imperfections are minor and do not really affect one’s overall appreciation of a story well told.

I don’t hesitate for a minute inย recommending this film to the fans of the Coming-of-Age genre, confident that even after reading my review of it, their expectations will not only beย met, but exceeded.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033729/combined

How Green Was My Valley (1941)
CONCLUSION
A timeless portrayal of a bygone, simpler time, How Green was My Valley is a story filled with wisdom, insights and a tint of bitter sweet nostalgia.
5
OUR RATING

SUMMARY

A timeless portrayal of a bygone, simpler time, How Green was My Valley is a story filled with wisdom, insights and a tint of bitter sweet nostalgia.
A timeless portrayal of a bygone, simpler time, How Green was My Valley is a story filled with wisdom, insights and a tint of bitter sweet nostalgia.How Green Was My Valley (1941)