This Above All (1942) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set in wartime France and the United Kingdom in 1940, during the early months of World War II. It spans English training camps, a southern coastal holiday location near Dover, and London during Luftwaffe air raids, capturing both the frontlines and the home front.

• setting
• locations
• england
• france
• dover
• london

The film is set in 1940, specifically during the Dunkirk evacuation and the early Blitz era. This period marks a critical turning point in World War II when France had surrendered to Nazi Germany and Britain faced imminent invasion threats.

• 1940
• dunkirk
• blitz
• ww2
• time period

Prudence 'Pru' Cathaway is an upper-class woman who defies her aristocratic background by enlisting in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Her strong-willed nature drives the story as she navigates military life, challenges social expectations, and argues for England's values while confronting the limits of her privilege.

• prudence
• pru
• cathaway
• waaf
• protagonist

Clive Briggs is a moody, secretive soldier who harbors a sharp sense of injustice toward class oppression. Honored for his actions at Dunkirk, he struggles with personal demons and a desire to escape the constraints of the English elite. His romance with Prudence tests his loyalties and beliefs about class and duty.

• clive briggs
• soldier
• class
• dunkirk

The film explores three interconnected themes: Duty, as Prudence joins the WAAF and challenges her aristocratic upbringing; Love, as her romance with Clive crosses class boundaries while wartime intensifies the stakes; and Sacrifice, as personal choices are weighed against responsibility to country, with the ending leaving their fate uncertain.

• themes
• duty
• love
• sacrifice
• war

The film presents duty as a personal conviction tested by social expectations and the realities of war. Prudence's enlistment in the WAAF shows how wartime service reshapes identity and responsibility for women from privileged backgrounds, transforming aristocratic obligation into genuine national service.

• duty
• waaf
• service
• patriotism

The wartime setting intensifies the stakes of love between Prudence and Clive, demanding sacrifices and choices that could alter their futures. Their relationship crosses class boundaries, forcing both to weigh personal happiness against duty to country, with the chaos of war making every moment precious and uncertain.

• romance
• love
• class
• wedding

The film portrays courage not only in battle but in everyday acts of responsibility and restraint. Clive's decision to face authorities despite his trauma highlights the cost of belief in a greater cause. The bittersweet ending, where they marry but Clive's survival remains uncertain, emphasizes the prices paid for conviction.

• sacrifice
• courage
• desertion
• awol

Monty Montague is Clive's friend who acts as a catalyst in both the romance and the plot's turning points. He reveals crucial information about Clive's desertion and maintains a light, loyal presence while navigating wartime loyalties. His interventions push Prudence and Clive toward critical choices.

• monty
• montague
• friend
• catalyst

The film examines how aristocratic expectations clash with wartime service and changing social roles. Prudence defies her family's upper-class conventions by joining the WAAF, while Clive's troubled past stems from class oppression. Their romance becomes a vehicle for exploring whether love can transcend social boundaries during national crisis.

• class
• aristocracy
• social
• upper class

Iris Cathaway is Prudence's aunt who disapproves of her wartime enlistment, embodying the social constraints of the aristocracy. Her stance reflects the tension between tradition and the changing roles women must embrace during war, representing those who cannot reconcile personal ambition with wartime duty.

• iris
• aunt
• aristocracy
• family

London appears as a key setting during Luftwaffe air raids, representing the home front's danger and resilience. The city illustrates how war upends ordinary life, bringing both destruction and moments of connection. The Blitz scenes contrast with the more tranquil coastal setting, showing the spectrum of wartime experience.

• london
• blitz
• air raid
• home front