Plot: A disgraced captain fights to turn his inexperienced sailors, rebellious officers and outdated ship into a fighting force
This underrated little gem is about a little known historical episode in the Second World War where British island bases were swapped for antiquated American ships. The plot is fairly standard; a tough-but-fair officer has to turn an inexperienced crew into a crack fighting force before they are thrown into a final challenge that will test them to the limit. In between the plot adopts an episodic format, shifting between (largely failed) missions at sea and moments for the crew to bond (and fight with other crews) on land. There are lots of familiar but nonetheless effective moments; the chap whose girl runs off with another man, the former trade unionist turned ship's lawyer, the deaths of family in German bombing raids. Like many 1950s films there is a reliance on sets rather than location shooting, and on archive to fill in the gaps. It's obvious but acceptable, and more than made up for by a fast-paced, witty screenplay full of neat historical detail and deeply human moments. The climax, involving the Raid on St Nazaire, is a slightly under-utilised - five more minutes of screen-time to stretch out the tension would have made for a much better ending - but nonetheless heroic end. There is one terrific scene where the camera cuts away from a bar-room brawl and instead illustrates the fight by cutting to photographs of boxers on the wall (the pub landlord's former career) every time a blow is landed. What makes the film so good is the terrific banter between the crew, and the magnificent understatement of the actors. There is no shouting, only a deep and dignified horror at the effects of war; the quiet grief of the characters is infinitely more powerful for not being Hollywood histrionics. Highly recommended.
This underrated little gem is about a little known historical episode in the Second World War where British island bases were swapped for antiquated American ships. The plot is fairly standard; a tough-but-fair officer has to turn an inexperienced crew into a crack fighting force before they are thrown into a final challenge that will test them to the limit. In between the plot adopts an episodic format, shifting between (largely failed) missions at sea and moments for the crew to bond (and fight with other crews) on land. There are lots of familiar but nonetheless effective moments; the chap whose girl runs off with another man, the former trade unionist turned ship's lawyer, the deaths of family in German bombing raids. Like many 1950s films there is a reliance on sets rather than location shooting, and on archive to fill in the gaps. It's obvious but acceptable, and more than made up for by a fast-paced, witty screenplay full of neat historical detail and deeply human moments. The climax, involving the Raid on St Nazaire, is a slightly under-utilised - five more minutes of screen-time to stretch out the tension would have made for a much better ending - but nonetheless heroic end. There is one terrific scene where the camera cuts away from a bar-room brawl and instead illustrates the fight by cutting to photographs of boxers on the wall (the pub landlord's former career) every time a blow is landed. What makes the film so good is the terrific banter between the crew, and the magnificent understatement of the actors. There is no shouting, only a deep and dignified horror at the effects of war; the quiet grief of the characters is infinitely more powerful for not being Hollywood histrionics. Highly recommended.