War is a matter many people take very seriously; whether they're hawks or doves. Unfortunately, some people profit from war, which means that they take making money very seriously; such that they would profit off of death and destruction.
Paul Verin (Claude Rains) was serious about peace. He was dead set against war as he saw it as a tool for certain people to gain money and power. He was a columnist who was well versed in putting his ideas eloquently onto paper. A man named Henry Dumont (Lionel Atwill) wanted to use Paul's abilities for his own newspaper. He claimed that Paul could work at the newspaper on his own terms. Paul refused because he knew it would only be a matter of time before he'd have to cave to the agenda of the newspaper (aka Henry Dumont) and thereby sellout.
Paul's wife, Adele (Joan Bennett), wanted him to take the position so that they could have some financial freedom. Having freedom of thought was fine, but how could that provide nice clothes and a warm bed? So, because of Paul's deep love for his wife, he accepted the position and moved his family to Paris.
The movie began in 1915 with France in the grips of a war. Paul was wearing a soldier's uniform and he was seeking the help of an attorney. He decided to tell the attorney the long version of his predicament, which is how we got his backstory.
"The Man Who Reclaimed His Head" was a deep movie. It was similar to "Men Must Fight" (1932) without the oversimplification of war. Paul was convincing as an intellectual who was satisfied with little more than his ideals and his wife. Such people always have to figure out how to navigate a world dominated by unscrupulous men of wealth. Ideals only take a man so far, and sometimes just a small bit of compromise could lead a person down a slippery slope of shedding their entire identity. Paul didn't want to be that man.
I like "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head." It was a relevant movie for any era. There will always be war and there will always be Paul Verins and Henry Dumonts.
Free on Odnoklassniki.