The Only Way (1970)
9/10
"A lesson to us all"
3 November 2019
That lesson is multi-layered: German National Socialism was not just about destroying Jews -- it was about destroying individuals and individualism.

Another lesson: Because demagogues can, often easily, arise and take control of governments, it is important, in these United States, to honor our Second Amendment. (You will see the usually peaceful Danes take up arms against the invader.)

This powerful motion picture is based on the true story of how the people of Denmark, almost unanimously, arose against a tyrannical and murderous invader to protect and defend a persecuted minority.

It is mostly very well done, especially the score by the magnificent Carl Davis, and the superlative acting. Directing and editing were not quite up to the script or the acting (and the haircuts seemed anachronistic), but this is a movie I can highly recommend.

As shown here, even the German invaders, as individuals, probably draftees, could often be humane and decent, just more people caught up in the viciousness of government. But war doesn't pay much attention to individuals, except as targets, as cannon fodder.

The single most important lesson for us all is that each of us is an individual human being, and we are valuable for our own sakes. Each of us is sovereign, each of us is self-owned and we must remember and we must remind others.

Freedom is our proper and natural condition, and each of us must remember that, must remind others, and must work to protect that freedom, must work to save other individual human beings from tyrannical government.

"The Only Way" is now almost 50 years old, and the incidents it portrays are more than 65 years in the past. Yet tyranny and mass persecution are always just around the corner.

Honor those brave and generous Danes, and remember this lesson: Government is always a danger, and most especially when it forgets that "We, the People" are sovereign individuals, when it concentrates (as 2019 politicians are doing) on groups rather than individuals, and when it assumes such total control over individual human lives.

I urge everyone to see this film, which is available at YouTube.
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