This neglected British war film has a strong cast, including Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Bonar Colleano. It's about 90 minutes in length, and much of it was shot inside a British studio, which will be fairly obvious to the average viewer...not at all on location. But it's still worth looking at and sometimes is uploaded on YouTube.
The cast vary in terms of box office clout, and all are at different stages in their respective careers. Redgrave was the most successful at this point. He'd already established himself in British cinema and had already gone to Hollywood to make a few American films before returning to London. I should note that his wife, actress Rachel Kempson, plays his wife in this film, like she occasionally did in his other pictures.
Due to the somewhat limited budget, the music is sparse and there are modest special effects on display. Certainly nothing to write home about, and much of what ends up on screen could be termed a "B" version of the much more well-known British war flick IN WHICH WE SERVE (1942). In both pictures, we have soldiers stranded at sea in need of rescuing.
Here the men are on board an aircraft that is damaged by attacking Germans in the North Sea. Our main soldiers fall into the sea that apparently seeks to claim them; they manage to stay afloat in a rubber dinghy but cannot send any SOS message. However, a team of the RAF's air-sea rescue unit have been alerted to their disappearance and launch a mission to locate them.
Subsequent scenes portray two officers (Anthony Steel and Nigel Patrick) coordinating the search and rescue efforts that ensue. Meanwhile there is a bit of comic relief involving some peripheral characters such as a bossy corporal (Sydney Tafler). Incidentally, Tafler was the brother-in-law of writer-director Lewis Gilbert. Gilbert used Tafler in a few more films, notably in REACH FOR THE SKY (1956), which was made two years later.
Of course, not all the comedic elements work in this film. Some of the so-called humor seems out of place. The amusing moments were probably incorporated into the script to lighten a drama focused on such serious subject matter.
The bulk of Redgrave's scenes take place in the dinghy and have him acting opposite Bogarde, who is cast as a sergeant struggling to stay alive on the water. The men don't always get along and must deal with the discomforts of their unexpected situation together. For example, they experience cramped space, go through their rations and try to keep their spirits up.
While Redgrave and Bogarde get a bit more prominence, there still are some interesting moments for costar Bonar Colleano who does a splendid job. Colleano was an American stage and screen actor that found success in Britain. Until the men are saved, the action is considerably restricted. Also, the men seem to have little to discuss at times, though I'm sure they have loved ones on their minds and probably could have talked about that. One of them becomes a father at the end of the movie.
Before everything gets resolved, there's a side-story involving an important wartime document in a briefcase carried by Redgrave. Ultimately, we don't find out the document's exact value, which means you could call it a MacGuffin of sorts. The briefcase does come into play in a scene when Bogarde's character threatens mass suicide because he's depressed at sea.
Regarding Bogarde's performance, he's tapping into some Method-style theatrics in the dinghy. And quite frankly, I find his emoting to be a bit overdone compared to Redgrave's more naturalistic style. But of course, Bogarde manages to convey the torment his character is undergoing, which the audience needs to see.
Going back to the briefcase for a second...I suppose the briefcase containing the document has been included in the film to show how these guys are worth rescuing. And by saving them, it can potentially save more people from the Germans. We don't really need to know what's written on any paper Redgrave's character is carrying with him. After all, it's classified information. But we know that when he delivers what's inside the briefcase, it will be a patriotic and heroic act.
The cast vary in terms of box office clout, and all are at different stages in their respective careers. Redgrave was the most successful at this point. He'd already established himself in British cinema and had already gone to Hollywood to make a few American films before returning to London. I should note that his wife, actress Rachel Kempson, plays his wife in this film, like she occasionally did in his other pictures.
Due to the somewhat limited budget, the music is sparse and there are modest special effects on display. Certainly nothing to write home about, and much of what ends up on screen could be termed a "B" version of the much more well-known British war flick IN WHICH WE SERVE (1942). In both pictures, we have soldiers stranded at sea in need of rescuing.
Here the men are on board an aircraft that is damaged by attacking Germans in the North Sea. Our main soldiers fall into the sea that apparently seeks to claim them; they manage to stay afloat in a rubber dinghy but cannot send any SOS message. However, a team of the RAF's air-sea rescue unit have been alerted to their disappearance and launch a mission to locate them.
Subsequent scenes portray two officers (Anthony Steel and Nigel Patrick) coordinating the search and rescue efforts that ensue. Meanwhile there is a bit of comic relief involving some peripheral characters such as a bossy corporal (Sydney Tafler). Incidentally, Tafler was the brother-in-law of writer-director Lewis Gilbert. Gilbert used Tafler in a few more films, notably in REACH FOR THE SKY (1956), which was made two years later.
Of course, not all the comedic elements work in this film. Some of the so-called humor seems out of place. The amusing moments were probably incorporated into the script to lighten a drama focused on such serious subject matter.
The bulk of Redgrave's scenes take place in the dinghy and have him acting opposite Bogarde, who is cast as a sergeant struggling to stay alive on the water. The men don't always get along and must deal with the discomforts of their unexpected situation together. For example, they experience cramped space, go through their rations and try to keep their spirits up.
While Redgrave and Bogarde get a bit more prominence, there still are some interesting moments for costar Bonar Colleano who does a splendid job. Colleano was an American stage and screen actor that found success in Britain. Until the men are saved, the action is considerably restricted. Also, the men seem to have little to discuss at times, though I'm sure they have loved ones on their minds and probably could have talked about that. One of them becomes a father at the end of the movie.
Before everything gets resolved, there's a side-story involving an important wartime document in a briefcase carried by Redgrave. Ultimately, we don't find out the document's exact value, which means you could call it a MacGuffin of sorts. The briefcase does come into play in a scene when Bogarde's character threatens mass suicide because he's depressed at sea.
Regarding Bogarde's performance, he's tapping into some Method-style theatrics in the dinghy. And quite frankly, I find his emoting to be a bit overdone compared to Redgrave's more naturalistic style. But of course, Bogarde manages to convey the torment his character is undergoing, which the audience needs to see.
Going back to the briefcase for a second...I suppose the briefcase containing the document has been included in the film to show how these guys are worth rescuing. And by saving them, it can potentially save more people from the Germans. We don't really need to know what's written on any paper Redgrave's character is carrying with him. After all, it's classified information. But we know that when he delivers what's inside the briefcase, it will be a patriotic and heroic act.