The first casualty of war is truth. In practical terms that means that during wartime honest chroniclers become less valuable to the Powers That Be than authors of fiction. During the Second World War nobody could have produced fiction in such quantity and quality as Hollywood, which resulted in a large number of propaganda films of varying quality, many of which would become a source of embarrassment in post-war years. One such example can be found in Mission to Moscow, a 1943 biopic directed by Michael Curtiz.
The film is based on the eponymous 1941 best-selling book by Joseph E. Davies, a lawyer and diplomat who served as US ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1938. Following the prologue in which Davies addresses the audience and explains the purpose of his book and film, the plot begins in 1936 shortly after the Italian invasion and conquest of Ethiopia. Davies (played by Walter Huston) is summoned by his old friend, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (played by Jack King) and given not only the ambassadorship, but also a very delicate task – he is to assess the possibility of a new war in Europe and how the Soviet Union would react to it. Davies and his family on their way make a stopover in Germany, where he is worried about the increased militarisation of the country under the Nazi regime. When he arrives in Moscow, Davies is greeted cordially by Soviet (formal) head of state Mikhail Kalinin (played by Vladimir Sokoloff) and foreign minister Maxim Litvinov (played by Oskar Homolka), the latter of whom would become a good personal friend. Davies goes on a fact-finding mission and travels around the Soviet Union to assess its industrial and military capabilities. He is impressed by the rapid industrialisation, but also worried about factories being militarised and news about sabotages. When the leading Soviet generals and politicians are arrested and brought to public trial during the Great Purge, Davies is in the audience and witnesses how they confess that they tried to betray the country to Germany and Japan. Davies is convinced that both countries will attempt to expand at the expense of other countries and that this could be prevented if Western countries make common cause with the Soviets. His attempt to talk isolationist American politicians and other governments into such a course of action fails, and before his departure from Moscow he meets with Soviet leader Stalin (played by Manart Kippert) who tells him that the Soviets, if they can’t get an alliance with the West, would take extreme measures in their self-interest. Davies interprets this as the possibility of a Soviet non-aggression pact with Germany and soon after this becomes reality, war starts in Europe. When the Soviet Union is invaded by the Germans in June 1941, Davies, despite the USA still being neutral, advocates military aid to the Soviets. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Soviets and Americans become allies and Davies reunites with his friend Litvinov, who was appointed as Soviet ambassador to the USA.
During the McCarthy era Mission to Moscow was considered not only blatant pro-Soviet propaganda but one of the films to prove the insidious influence of Communists in Hollywood and justification for the brutal persecution and blacklisting of left-wing actors, screenwriters and directors. Howard Koch, this film’s screenwriter, was actually one of the victims of the purge. In reality, the film, just like the original book, was the brainchild of President Roosevelt who wanted his isolationist and anti-Communist countrymen to adopt his policy of giving financial and material support to the Soviets whose struggle against Nazi Germany he saw as crucial in securing victory for the Allied cause. This pragmatic aim, however, was not achieved, because the attempt to portray the Soviets in the best possible light went a little too far even for the standards of WW2 America. Mission to Moscow was attacked by right-wing sections of the public and when the film was shown in the Soviet Union, the idyllic depiction of life in the country, so far from reality, made many in the audience laugh, believing the film was a comedy. To those more familiar with history the problematic parts of the film include Davies’ attempts to justify some of the most questionable aspects of Soviet late 1930s foreign policies, like the pact with Hitler (described as an attempt to buy time) and the invasion of Finland. But even more problematic is the film’s justification of the Great Purge, with confessions given at the infamous Moscow Trials being interpreted as genuine, Stalin’s victims being portrayed as treacherous fifth columnists and the infamous prosecutor Andrey Vishinski (played by Belgian actor Victor Francen) shown as a heroic figure.
While all but worthless as a historical document, Mission to Moscow is, to a degree, effective as a piece of fiction. This is hardly surprising, because large budgets and an impressive collection of talent was gathered in front of and behind the camera. Michael Curtiz, one of the most versatile and prolific directors of Classic Hollywood, handles the plot quickly and, following the prologue, the next two hours pass very quickly. Curtiz uses a combination of studio sets and stock footage to create the effective illusion of the plot taking place in Moscow and other European cities. Walter Huston, a great character actor who had played presidents and great statesmen in the past, is very convincing in the role of a wise and eloquent diplomat who could talk an audience into accepting the Soviet point of view. He is accompanied by a small army of good character actors, many of whom play powerful personalities who were their contemporaries (like Dudley Field Malone, a former politician who played Winston Churchill on account of physical resemblance to the British wartime leader). Max Steiner, one of the greatest composers of Classic Hollywood, provided an effective musical score, skilfully using leitmotifs based on various national anthems and patriotic songs.
Two years after the premiere, the Second World War ended and with it died the Soviet-American alliance. With the Soviets becoming bitter enemies in the Cold War, the film became an embarrassment for almost anyone involved and was made obscure. Those who watch it now, however, would find it a fascinating, well-made piece of propaganda that would, in light of certain current events, leave the somewhat disturbing impression that some things haven’t changed in the last eighty years.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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