The voice-over narration, provided by director Leslie Howard, tells us the ladies in the story are 'gentle women.' And 90 minutes later, as the film ends, they have become indispensable to the war effort. While developing skills, they've turned gentle into something less fragile (and much stronger) in order to survive.
It all starts with seven women from different walks of life on their way to a training camp. They have volunteered to join a branch of the British Army known as the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The women speak with regional dialects, representing various parts of Great Britain. One gal is from Scotland; and another is of French origin, who fled her native country when the Nazis killed her family. Gradually their differences are downplayed as they become a team. Despite individual quirks, they are all united in a common goal and singular outcome- victory.
The film has a sort of historical value other studio pictures lack. For instance, there are several sequences where we watch the women undergo rigorous military exercises. These seem to be recreations of actual drills and have a semidocumentary feel.
After the women have finished their training, the next portion of the story shows them driving trucks and using aircraft that takes them right into combat. Those scenes of the film are much more interesting and also have a non-fictional feel. There's a great sequence where some of the main characters talk to an elderly woman who describes her duties during WWI, claiming she was shot in the shoulder during the first war.
Six weeks after THE GENTLE SEX premiered its director Leslie Howard was killed. He was only 50 years old. There are various theories about the cause of his death. Whatever the reason for Mr. Howard's untimely demise, it's clear his last film is a testament to his belief in a free world. Also, the film reflects the ways in which he appreciates women. In this regard, the whole picture is a declaration of love to the ladies on the battlefront as well as the ones in the audience who might be watching. They believe that working together is what enables them to overcome adversity.
It all starts with seven women from different walks of life on their way to a training camp. They have volunteered to join a branch of the British Army known as the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The women speak with regional dialects, representing various parts of Great Britain. One gal is from Scotland; and another is of French origin, who fled her native country when the Nazis killed her family. Gradually their differences are downplayed as they become a team. Despite individual quirks, they are all united in a common goal and singular outcome- victory.
The film has a sort of historical value other studio pictures lack. For instance, there are several sequences where we watch the women undergo rigorous military exercises. These seem to be recreations of actual drills and have a semidocumentary feel.
After the women have finished their training, the next portion of the story shows them driving trucks and using aircraft that takes them right into combat. Those scenes of the film are much more interesting and also have a non-fictional feel. There's a great sequence where some of the main characters talk to an elderly woman who describes her duties during WWI, claiming she was shot in the shoulder during the first war.
Six weeks after THE GENTLE SEX premiered its director Leslie Howard was killed. He was only 50 years old. There are various theories about the cause of his death. Whatever the reason for Mr. Howard's untimely demise, it's clear his last film is a testament to his belief in a free world. Also, the film reflects the ways in which he appreciates women. In this regard, the whole picture is a declaration of love to the ladies on the battlefront as well as the ones in the audience who might be watching. They believe that working together is what enables them to overcome adversity.