Things To Come (1936)

In a British city in 1940, there is talk of war and it isn't long before the bombs start dropping. From there, we jump to 1966 where barbarism and war mongering rule and on to 2036 where there is no more war and peace rules ..... but there is still social unrest. Loosely based on his book THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, this was the first screenplay actually written by H.G. Wells. Directed by the production designer William Cameron Menzies (GONE WITH THE WIND) with art direction by Vincent Korda, cinematography by George Perinal and a score by Sir Arthur Bliss. This is one impressive looking movie! Influenced visually by Lang's METROPOLIS and Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and  itself influential (the look of LOGAN'S RUN owes a lot to it), it's the grandiose and audacious imagery that propels the film and this would have made for a Hell of a silent movie. Unfortunately, there is dialogue and it's pretty ghastly with some decent actors reciting in the declamatory style of bad Shakespeare acting. Wells' socialist views permeate the dialogue and some of the speechifying are real groaners. The cast includes Ralph Richardson, Raymond Massey, Ann Todd, Cedric Hardwicke, Edward Chapman, Margaretta Scott and Derrick De Marney.