Yanks

Yanks is a 1979 John Schlesinger film, set in World War II in the village of Dobcross, in Greater Manchester, England. Starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn, Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody.

The film focuses on three romances taking place as a result of the stationing of American troops in Britain in the build up to the Normandy Landings, plus the impact and reactions of the two different cultures on each other in rural 1940s England.

Plot

In the build-up to the Normandy landings, thousands of American troops descend upon England. Near a small Lancashire town, a large US Army base is established and soon houses the rambunctious "Yanks" as they are known to the English. On leave in the town, young Arizona man, Matt Dyson (Richard Gere), encounters pretty young Jean Moreton (Lisa Eichhorn) and asks her out to the cinema. She is the girlfriend of a British soldier fighting overseas, and initially rebuffs his advances. He is quite persistent, and she was having her doubts about her relationship with her fiancé anyway. The handsome, brash American sergeant is in stark contrast to the restrained Englishmen she has known. Soon, she is keeping company with Matt, though it is largely platonic at first.

For her part, Helen (Vanessa Redgrave) is a bit more worldly in her affairs. John (William Devane), an American Army captain, comes to her estate often, and a relationship develops, culminating in a semi-nude love scene featuring Redgrave....
Read More