A far subtler director than most, Borzage nevertheless uses spatial separation to express moral opposition: good versus evil, us versus them.

Romance becomes the irritant and, effectively, Borzage positions his romanticism as a contribution to Hollywood's anti-fascist crusade.

Although melodramatic, this remains a direct, affecting story about the vast personal cost of individual deference to deafening group rhetoric. Neither does it waste the spark of James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan's final collaboration.

Maybe 85 years ago it might have been distracting to watch Hollywood movie stars playing Germans who slip into authoritarianism, but now their American accents just make the movie seem more sickeningly timely.