Let There Be Light

John Huston was one of many American filmmakers who offered his talents to the armed services during World War II, but he arguably made the greatest documentaries about the war. Let There Be Light features all four films he helmed for the Army Signal Corps, beginning with Winning Your Wings (1942), a recruitment film narrated by Jimmy Stewart. Report from the Aleutians (1943) depicts the routine of military life at a remote base in the frigid Aleutian Islands between Alaska and Russia (it's also the only film shot in color), but Huston's tone becomes darker in San Pietro (1945), which documents the battle to take a small Italian village from occupying German forces. The scenes of bombed-out ruins and dead soldiers are real but the battle itself was restaged by Huston for maximum dramatic impact (San Pietro joined the National Film Registry in 1991). His final service film, Let There Be Light (1946), a powerful portrait of mentally and emotionally scarred men returning from battle, follows the treatment of soldiers suffering from "psychoneurotic" damage, what we today call post-traumatic stress disorder. It also shows black and white soldiers living and working together before the services were officially integrated (censored for 35 years, the film was restored just a few years ago). Extras include an introduction to the films, raw footage from San Pietro, and Shades of Gray (1948)—a remake of Let There Be Light with actors recreating scenes from the documentary. An important and provocative compilation of films capturing World War II history, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)