Spanning a period of about ten years, from 1921 through the early years of the Great Depression, Give Us this Day is primarily in the form of an extended flashback. Geremio looks back upon the circumstances that brought him to a state of crisis on his birthday. A brick layer by trade, Geremio finds his life a battle to fulfill the dreams for himself and his immigrant wife, Annuziata, and his growing family. Work is sporadic, and the goal of buying a home is the main source of motivation. It is just on the eve of the Depression that the possibility of buying the home suddenly is out of reach. Bringing in a few dollars by shoveling snow, Geremio accepts the position of foreman on a dangerous construction project in order to support himself and his family. On the night of his birthday, Geremio confronts the reality that he has betrayed his wife, his friends, and his own ideals.

I was hoping to read DiDonato's semi-autobiographical novel before seeing the film again. From what I understood from the commentary, it was the British censor who asked for the title change as well as other changes that caused the religious aspects of the novel to be virtually eliminated. Two moments of visual symbolism stand out - in the opening sequence of the film, Geremio strikes his hand against the arrow shaped end of a fence, creating a self-inflicted stigmata, while the end of the film shows Geremio with his arms extended outward while drowning in wet concrete. The other significant points are the name of Annuziata, from Annunciation, and Geremio's death on Good Friday.

Screenwriter Ben Barzman may have also brought out the best in Dmytryk. This film and Back to Bataan are visually Dmytryk's strongest work. Shorn of the title montage of New York City street scenes, Give Us this Day almost resembles a horror movie, with Sam Wanamaker stumbling through the empty slum streets at night, foreboding clouds in the sky. Give Us this Day also serves as the flip side to Back to Bataan. While the 1945 film attempts to justify the importation of American democracy and ideal to Filipinos, Give Us this Day is about those who came to the United States in search of the imagined America only to find themselves marginalized. Both films are linked by the themes of idealism and betrayal, and the brutality sometimes required for survival.

The availability of Dmytryk's films on DVD is still spotty. I am hoping especially to see one of his early post-blacklist films, The Sniper, just for the opportunity to see virulent Commie hater, Adolphe Menjou as Police Lt. Frank Kafka. Also unavailable is Where Love has Gone with the triple threat casting of Bette Davis, Susan Hayward and Joey Heatherton. And while the rest of the film may have only fleeting resemblance to the novel, Dmytryk will be remembered for his association with the best opening credits sequence created by Saul Bass.