Year of Release: 1965Country of Origin: UK, USA
Director: James B. Harris
Cast: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Martin Balsam
Plot outline: An American destroyer, with a journalist on board, is determined to confront a Soviet submarine caught violating territorial waters. Perhaps too determined (IMDb).
James B. Harris, who handles the movie very well, is also gifted in developing these interpersonal tensions into dramatic moments that certainly add to the mounting tensions while contributing to the dramatic ending. Although this is a well-acted Cold War melodrama with a supporting cast who all provide fine performances, Richard Widmark is perfect in his role as a dedicated anti-Communist and patriotic American zealot who cuts no slack. One of my favourite scenes is when Richard Widmark appears to take on the persona of a Gestapo icon and becomes so intimidating at one point that he even frightens the retired, ex-Nazi U-Boat commander Wolfgang Schrepke (Eric Portman) who happens to be an on board consultant during this patrol. The ship model used during the iceberg scenes does seem dated. Also, in one interior scene of the ship, I noticed a weapon rack of Enfield rifles. Such rifles were certainly obsolete at the time this film was made. Furthermore, this weapon was uncommon on American ships and was typically used by the British Royal Navy. Despite these small errors, the suspense, drama, and entertainment value of this movie are engrossing even after several viewings and the performances only magnify the escalating tensions throughout the movie. Although some might consider the ending exceedingly abrupt, I think it is very explosive, leaves the audience breathless, and forces them to deeply reflect on the movie as well as its strong, unsettling message. (DH)
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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