Retrospective Film Review

The Way Ahead (1944) • 80 Years Later — a tale of ordinary soldiers emphasises reality, not heroism

A group of British Army recruits during World War II are gradually shaped into soldiers…

In 1942, Two Cities Films produced In Which We Serve, David Lean’s directorial debut and arguably the most famous British film of World War II. Though described as “the story of a ship”, it truly resonated with audiences thanks to its portrayal of individual Royal Navy sailors. The film interweaved sequences of their military service with flashbacks of home life, underlining that they were ordinary men as well as heroes.

A few years later, the same production company made Anthony Asquith’s The Way to the Stars (1945), which similarly intertwined the personal and military careers of servicemen, this time in the Royal Air Force.

Both films, emphasising personal stories more than combat, are frequently considered among the finest British productions of the war years. However, Two Cities also produced another film during this period, The Way Ahead…