GusF Set predominantly in neutral Sweden in 1918, this is quite a clever World War I film when it comes to the spy drama elements but less so when it comes to the romantic ones. Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt are very engaging leads as the French double agent Madeline Goddard and the German spymaster Baron von Marwitz who fall in love. The supporting cast is strong such as the producer Alexander Korda's sister-in-law Joan Gardner, Sam Livesey (Roger's dad who sadly died before the film was released), his daughter-in-law Ursula Jeans, Austin Trevor, Cecil Parker and Robert Newton. However, the fact that practically everyone in the film bar Veidt speaks with an English accent irrespective of nationality and wears civilian or otherwise nondescript clothes means that it is occasionally a little hard to tell which side everyone is on! That minor problem notwithstanding, the espionage elements of the story are strong but the script is not without its problems. Chief among them is the fact that von Marwitz is supposed to be a somewhat sympathetic character but he does nothing that would serve to make him even remotely sympathetic. For instance, even though he is in love with her, he is perfectly willing to turn Madeline over to his superiors in Germany where she would almost certainly be shot as a spy. British intervention is the only thing that saves her life. While I understand why a British film made in 1937 would be reluctant to depict a German spy in a favourable light, von Marwitz's behaviour does not work in the context of the storyline. It is a more than a little self-defeating, to be honest. If you're not convinced by the romance in a romantic film, that's not a good sign. At the end of the film, she looks after him longingly, clearly hoping that they will be reunited when the war ends. Not a very smart move on Madeline's part, it has to be said. My first thought was this: "Honey, set your sights on the nice one-armed English guy who was not tempted to have you shot." It was particularly annoying as Madeline was otherwise depicted as being a strong character.

mikhail080 What we have here with the British film "Dark Journey" is an espionage thriller set in WWI Europe that had this viewer scratching his head. From the nebulous title, to the confusing plot twists, to the dozen or so indistinct supporting characters, eventually makes it similar to a thick London fog.The one reason why anyone would be excited about this movie today is the appearance of the young and delicately beautiful Vivien Leigh. She's cast as a Swiss (or French?) double (or triple?) agent for the British, I guess. Her front is as the proprietor of a swank dress shop, who ships her fashions across the channel to the Brits. When held up against an electric light, the dresses reveal secret intelligence sewn into the patterns. Probably the coolest plot device.Enter Conrad Veidt as a double (or triple?) agent for the Germans, who becomes infatuated with Leigh and ultimately earns her affections. This of course complicates their missions, and causes great upheavals in their respective home offices. I've read that Vivien Leigh herself was confused by the plot, and couldn't fathom what her character's motivations were.So, if you don't try to comprehend the machinations of the plot, there are some nifty scenes contained herein. The sequences set inside Leigh's dress shop are amusing with her two bickering assistants and her old maintenance man who eventually provides a surprise. I also enjoyed the scenes set in a boisterous beer hall complete with about a hundred extras all in character. And there's a great little supporting turn by Joan Gardner as a rival for the affections of Conrad Veidt. She's a beautiful actress with a great catty delivery who was soon to become Mrs. Zoltan Korda in real life and retire to a life in California society.But I failed to buy into the unusual sight of Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh as a romantic couple, and the meandering plot becomes yawn-inducing eventually. Between the casting and the script, there's two strikes against the movie that it cannot overcome. But have faith -- greater things lie ahead for Miss Leigh! ** out of *****

spcummings The plot develops with just enough direction and character development to keep a general story in focus. Seemingly standard inter-war spy movie with a beautiful female spy, threatening German spies, murder, and clean cut British agents. The cast is good with Vivien Leigh and Conrad Veidt playing their roles well. The supporting cast is like many early movies, lots of professionals with good craftwork and little fame. The production is interesting look at the period and the state of movie making. The special effects are simple, but effective for their period. Obviously, in a British film the star will be pure in the end, and can not be a German agent. However, Leigh does a good job of keeping the real situation under wraps for a while. The characters take on depth, but most drop away by the end. Only the main spies from two sides are left in the center, and the romance overcomes the effects of the war. Probably during WW2, the British film industry reflected differently on the end of the movie, but it was in the can. An interesting film: fun to watch Leigh and Veidt, and a good period piece on the politics, morays, and society in neutral Sweden in WWI.

Space_Mafune but this film is slow and lacking in action to be honest. Nevertheless it has two fantastic leads in Conrad Veidt and Vivian Leigh who are both excellent. Also it has outstanding cinematography and a surprisingly realistic story. There are some unforgettable scenes and moments here but the film does move at a rather slow pace.