Based on the events upto and around the awarding of the George >Cross to the population of Malta. This film follows the >standard, 'stiff upper lip', 'against all odds' British war film >indicative of the time. >It is not a fast moving action film by any means and at times >appears to have two plots running concurrently. The first, the >defence of the island, is average for this genre which is only >made notable by the excellent performances from Jack Hawkins and >Sir Alec Guinness. Jack Hawkins already showing the same >idiosyncrasies he did in the Bond Films but a young Alec >Guinness not quite reaching the hint of eccentricity he is so >famous for (in particular 'Bridge Over The River Kwai'). >The subplot, Peter Ross' romance with one of the Maltese women >almost seems as though it was placed in as an after thought >maybe to be historically accurate or as contrast to the death >and destruction implied by the rest of the film. In any case the >acting of Muriel Pavlow was frosty to say the least and could >have been cut out of the majority of the film without any >detraction from the plot! >It is a definite Sunday aftern
Review of Malta Story
