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4.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. War Babies remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a completist for old Hollywood oddities. If you hate watching kids forced to act like adults in bizarre settings, stay far away. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
You’ve got this cafe setup. It feels like a stage play that forgot to leave the theater. The soldiers are just sitting there, staring at the dancer like they’ve never seen a person move before. It’s a bit uncomfortable, actually.
Shirley Temple is in the middle of it all, of course. She’s doing that thing she does, but the context here feels... off. Like, why are these soldiers so invested in this routine? It’s not exactly the The Innocence of Lizette in terms of tone.
The rivalry between the two guys is the real kicker. They get so worked up over the dancer that you’d think it was the most important event of the war. It’s petty. It’s silly. And it lingers on their faces for way too long. 🙄
The whole thing just feels like a sketch that got stretched out. There’s a point where the dancing goes on for about 40 seconds too long, and you can practically hear the director yelling "keep going!" from the side. The silence after the music stops is just... painful.
I wouldn't call this a masterpiece. It's barely a movie, really. It’s more like a weird artifact you find in a dusty drawer. 🎞️
Watch it if you want to see something truly bizarre. Don't watch it if you want something that actually makes sense as a narrative. Sometimes, you just gotta accept the weirdness and move on.