Watch on the Rhine

Herman Shumlin's 1943 film is adapted from Lillian Hellman's play. The German engineer Kurt Müller comes with his American wife Sara and their three children to her family's house near Washington after years away. The house is crowded, with Sara's wealthy mother and sister living there and a Romanian count among the guests. When it becomes clear that Kurt works for the anti-Nazi resistance, the count tries to use it to extract money. The film was made while the war still looked distant to America and brings a political matter directly into a comfortable house. It is heavy on dialogue and its stage origins are plain. Paul Lukas's performance was among the most discussed of the period and won an Academy Award. Who it's for: viewers who like classic Hollywood drama and wartime films. Who it's not for: anyone expecting an eventful narrative; the film stays almost entirely in the house.