After reading the many enthusiastic comments about this rather obscure Michael Powell film, and as an enthusiast of WWII films, I was eager to see this rarely screened film. What a disappointment! Yes, there is some real acting talent at work here. Yes, there are some relatively brief excellent sea shots...some appear to be stock. Yes, it looks like Powell made a sincere attempt at historical accuracy.
But ach, what a dull two hours. Most of the scenes are very stagy; groups of British naval officers mouthing stiff, silly dialog while standing mostly motionless in the frame. Bloodless sea battles; the dead and injured barely even get their tropical whites dirty, let alone soiled with blood! (There's one scene showing a direct hit on a ships bridge and most of the officers didn't even lose their caps!).
The story lines also just never become engaging. The captured crew on the German ship have an entirely different, and rather distracting, story from the film's central point.
If you approach this film as if you're watching a play embellished with film you'll not be as disappointed as I was. Silly me; I was expecting something like "Sink the Bismark" but this film completely failed to engage me and I suspect I'm not an atypical viewer. Usually there's a reason why a film has become forgotten and obscure. In the case of this one it was a gesture of humanity.
But ach, what a dull two hours. Most of the scenes are very stagy; groups of British naval officers mouthing stiff, silly dialog while standing mostly motionless in the frame. Bloodless sea battles; the dead and injured barely even get their tropical whites dirty, let alone soiled with blood! (There's one scene showing a direct hit on a ships bridge and most of the officers didn't even lose their caps!).
The story lines also just never become engaging. The captured crew on the German ship have an entirely different, and rather distracting, story from the film's central point.
If you approach this film as if you're watching a play embellished with film you'll not be as disappointed as I was. Silly me; I was expecting something like "Sink the Bismark" but this film completely failed to engage me and I suspect I'm not an atypical viewer. Usually there's a reason why a film has become forgotten and obscure. In the case of this one it was a gesture of humanity.