It is instructive to watch fifty years on how the Allies portrayed their victorious armed forces on the screen.The United States were represented by the cigar chomping ,helmet askew,grizzled flinty eyed G.I.dishing out chewing gum to snotty- nosed kids all over the world, The Russians sad - faced country boys,pale and sensitive,hating the Germans of course,but very keen on watching birds - particularly cranes apparently.The French dapper and sophisticated even a little effete but certainly hating the Germans.The Australians rowdy and undisciplined but murderous and hating everybody foreign.And the Brits....ah,the Brits. Inspired amateurs,a mixture of coal miners,shopkeepers,City gents,farmers and barrow boys somehow magically intermingled to produce a bloody - minded fighting man with occasional flashes of genius and and absolute refusal to even consider defeat. Such was the make up of the submariner in general and the midget submariner in particular. "Above us the waves" tells of the exploits of the brave men who sailed deep into the Norwegian fjords to confront the "Tirpitz",scourge of the convoys.Having convinced a sceptical Admiralty in the person of Mr James Robertson Justice that such an attack had at least a small chance of succeeding,Mr John Mills leads his crews quietly and with the minimum of flag - waving to the target where they plant explosives under the keel of the ship.Despite being captured and taken on board Mr Mills and his men stay silent under questioning and the resulting detonation severely damages the "Tirpitz",putting it out of action for six months. Mr John Gregson and his crew are not so lucky and perish in the icy water. This is not a Bruce Wills blockbuster,nobody yells "Yippee - aye - ay motherxxxxxxx" at the enemy,there aren't many bangs for your buck and the special effects aren't up to much.The Germans are played as more or less mirror - images of the Brits and the mutual respect is apparent. "Above us the waves" is a low - key film with subdued performances. War isn't depicted as big boys' game,these men are in deadly danger and fully aware of it.To carry on quietly and,yes,bloody - mindedly if you like.......now that's real courage for you.
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alembic7 January 2002One or two spoilers : Another reasonably true to life British film depicting the daring, skillful and often claustrophobic conditions that the British mini-sub crews endured to attack the large German battleship Tirpitz ( sister ship to the great Bismark ) which was hidden deep in Norwegian fjords. With the Tirpitz lurking in Norway, the British were forced to keep a substantial force of ships in readiness in case she broke out to attack convoys. If she could be disabled or destroyed, this would free up the badly needed British warships for other duties. A daring plan was devised to pilot miniature submarines into the fjord where Tirpitz lay and deposit large underwater mines beneath her,timed to go off after the sub crews hopefully escaped. Well shot in B&W and starring competent actors John Mills and John Gregson the background of training and the eventual attack is very absorbing. Well worth a look.
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rdugrandbois18 December 2007OK so the script is mundane and the atmosphere is rather too pukha to be true, but I have no hesitation in recommending Above Us The Waves to all serious buffs out there. It's rather like a fanciful trip down memory lane into a bygone era that was very real to the actors but only a dream to us. The world in which public school educated Commanders strode up and down wharfs wearing immaculate stiff collars and Gieves and Hawkes tailored uniforms. The world in which a beaten enemy saluted their conquerors with trays of brandy and warm dry blankets. That's the real value of the film; it acts as a glimpse into that half forgotten world of sheer courage and decency that has long been lost in the senseless chase for mammon. When men gave their lives for honour and principal rather than offering their time for glamour and ego.
And the film has its moments of well staged tension to keep us alert. John Gregson and James Kenney give memorable performances when a mine drifts dangerously close to their surfaced sub and they must fend it off with outstretched feet. Don't listen to the detractors on this one - grab a good cup of strong cocoa and allow your dreams to drift back in time. -
toonnnnn6 April 2002A film about an atack on the German warship TIRPITZ a story that is well told,with tense and tragic moments.The story shows how ordinary men can perform extraordinary taskes when their country is at war.Wether the story really happened like this I do not know but once you start watching this film grips you,I would like to know what happened to the guys who are involved I hope they went on to lead fullfilling lives because they are true heroes.
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deschreiber6 September 2013This is a very decent war movie, although the reason for it is a little unusual. There's virtually no character development, no conflicts between the men, no girlfriends, no back story for anyone whatever, and the acting is unexciting, involving little more than the sailors going about their duties, joking light-heartedly in the usual way, and occasionally looking worried when they are in danger. The first part of the story, involving preparations and the trip from Britain to their target in a Norwegian fjord has only a few obstacles in the plot to add a little drama, but all quite pretty tame stuff, really.
What really gives interest to the film is the use of real naval facilities and equipment, real boats, lots of location shooting, minimal filming in studios, minimal use of models. It all gives a great sense of authenticity to the story as well as making for great visuals. I think this is the main reason the film overall is so satisfying.
Once the subs are in the fjord with the Tirpitz, the drama gets much better, as we are pretty sure not everyone will come out alive. The last 20-30 minutes is much by far the most gripping part of the film.
However, I don't see why we couldn't have been given subtitles for the Germans speaking German. There was quite a bit of speech in German, and it would have been interesting to know exactly what they were saying, instead of just getting the general drift from watching what they do. And the ending was a little odd. Huge explosions went off under the battleship, yet it seemed to have little effect. Certainly it wasn't sunk, yet we weren't told just how much damage was done. The movie just ended. According to Wikipedia, "Tirpitz was heavily damaged. While not in danger of sinking, she took on over 1,400 tons of water and suffered significant mechanical damage, including shock to the roller bearings in "D" turret aft. Tirpitz could not leave her anchorage until April 1944." We really should have been told about that, since it represented the extent of the success of the whole operation. Finally, I couldn't help noticing that a sailor who went out into the frigid September water of a Norwegian fjord didn't seem to feel the cold, and the group who escaped from their submarine on the bottom and floated up to the surface appeared soon after on the deck of the battleship in the same clothes, again without a shiver from the cold and, amazingly, with their clothes quite dry. -
mailmartinbuckley19 January 2007A lot of things about this film make you think director Ralph Thomas slept his way through the job. The scene when Donald Sinden tries to push off a mine with his feet is amazingly badly done. The film also fails to give you a real sense of what the mission achieved! (It did not, as the film implies, break the back of the ship -- but did succeed in putting Tirpitz out of action for half a year; the RAF finally destroyed her a year after the midget attack.) But there are plenty of decent scenes, and some real tension. The script isn't bad, and having the Germans speak in (unsubtitled) German adds authenticity. John Mills is, as always, excellent. Above all, the film tells a true story, of primitive, cramped baby submarines, poorly insulated diving suits and icy water. And real heroism.
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gary-44417 March 2016I first saw this in the 1960's and revisited it some fifty years later.
Of course it is of its time. It combines a story based on fact that is compelling and courageous, with a modest budget. The special effects are clunky, the costuming erratic, and armoury dubious, but it doesn't really matter. The story is well told, and dramatic. Submarine movies are at their best underwater where the claustrophobic drama is intense, and at their worst when that leaves them with nowhere to go. Here, fortunately the climax is on the surface, and incidental gems like a passing German patrol vessel playing music loudly also take place topside.
The portrayal of toffs in charge and salt of the earth ranks grate a little now, but John Mills is a sound, reflective toff.
Modern adrenaline junkies will not be impressed, but the simple heroism and determination portrayed is as impressive now as it was then. -
CinemaSerf14 November 2022John Mills sets off to convince a sceptical Admiral (James Robertson Justice) of the merits of "midget" submarines in active warfare. His intention is to use these tiny craft to lay high explosives underneath the hull of the mighty Nazi battleship "Tirpitz" that is safely anchored in a steep-sided Norwegian fjord. John Gregson and Donald Sinden join him on the mission deep into the heart of enemy territory fighting both the elements and the novel technology. You get a sense of he claustrophobic conditions - and of the close teamwork that engenders, as well as the fragility of their craft and; tempered by the odd light-hearted moment, this is quite a gripping little wartime tale.
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ian100030 March 2007Made during the austere 1950s (for us in the UK) with the usual British humour to lighten the grim events. Wonderful to see James Robertson-Justice not as a grumpy surgeon but as a grumpy admiral who manages to smile when he realises his ship has been 'attacked' by the heroes of the tale (to prove their merit). I wonder how accurate that part is? The incredible bravery of the men in the midget subs is well rendered, and one can forgive the film makers of the time - so soon after the war - for the German stereotypes on the Tirpitz, yet their Captain salutes the "brave men" who have arrived to attack his boat.
A wonderful British war movie! -
screenman21 August 2010John Mills leads a typical cast of the day in this rather inadequately-funded tub-thumper. We're off to sink the Tirpitz, holed-up in a Norwegian Fjord.
It's the mid 1950's and budgets were no longer underwritten by wartime propaganda funds. Even so, private equity was available and much more memorable works were being produced at the time. I'm thinking here of 'The Cruel Sea' and the incomparable 'Dambusters'.
It's not a bad movie. It just seems a bit flimsy and hurried from time to time. There are plenty of dramatic moments, with lots of underwater tension. We are given a fairly accurate idea of what it was like to be stuck inside these tiny devices for hours on end. There's some nice, if economical, underwater takes.
John Gregson and Donald Sinden are in fine supporting form, as they was in 'River Plate' and 'The Cruel Sea'. James Robertson Justice features as a querulous admiral. The rest are all decent B-movie extras.
Considering the astonishing nature of the mission, which was largely successful - even if the German battleship wasn't actually sunk - I think a greater effort could have been made, especially in terms of funding. The heroes deserved at least that. But then I'm reminded of 'The Gift Horse' - an equally low-funded movie of the even more harrowing (and costly) raid on the docks of St Nazaire by HMS Campbeltown. We don't respect our heroes like we should.
It's well worth a watch if you haven't seen it. I have it in my collection courtesy of a Daily Mail freebie. It's decent entertainment - just on a bit of a shoestring.
My summary is a line from the movie. The captured crew of the mini-subs are on the deck of the Tirpitz after the mines have gone off. The battleship captain comes to inspect his prisoners after they've all but wrecked his ship. It's an hilarious throwaway comment. -
JamesHitchcock11 June 2009"Above us the Waves" is based upon the same formula which had proved so successful with "The Dambusters" a couple of years earlier. A small group of intrepid British servicemen, assisted by some innovative technology, set out to destroy a vital, heavily defended German target. Against the odds they succeed, but not without suffering some tragic losses. And yet "The Dambusters" is today, rightly, regarded as one of Britain's greatest war films, whereas "Above us the Waves" is little remembered.
The film tells the story of "Operation Source", the attack in September 1943 by X-class midget submarines against the German battleship "Tirpitz". By 1943, in fact, the "Tirpitz" was something of a white elephant. Following the sinking of the "Bismarck" by British torpedo bombers in 1941, Hitler was reluctant to risk losing another battleship, and the "Tirpitz" remained anchored in a Norwegian fjord for most of the war, only making three sorties and never firing a shot against an enemy ship. The potential threat she posed to Allied convoys, however, meant that considerable British naval resources had to be diverted from other duties in order to counter that threat, which is why numerous attempts were made to sink her. Contrary to the impression given by this film, the "Tirpitz" was not permanently disabled by the submarine attacks, although the damage they caused took about six months to repair. She was finally sunk by RAF Lancaster bombers in November 1944.
One interesting feature of the film is the way the Germans are portrayed. Many British films made during the war itself simply depicted all Germans as evil thugs; "The Day Will Dawn", also set in occupied Norway, is a good example, and Pressburger and Powell's "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" an honourable exception. Here some stereotypes remain; the German sailors generally communicate in a series of short, staccato shouts, in line with the common British received idea that the German language is not so much spoken as barked. (The British characters, by contrast, all speak in normal tones, even when giving orders). The Germans, however, do have their decent side; captured British sailors are greeted with mugs of schnapps and the German captain pays tribute to their bravery even after they have damaged his ship. Possibly this change reflects the fact that by 1955 West Germany was a key British ally in the Cold War.
I think that one reason why "Above us the Waves" suffers in comparison with "The Dambusters" (apart from the fact that musically it has nothing to compare with Eric Coates' magnificent march) is that submarine warfare does not translate into exciting action sequences as well as aerial warfare. Or, for that matter, as well as surface naval warfare; I would rank the film behind not only "The Dambusters" but also "Sink the Bismarck!", made five years later about the sinking of "Tirpitz"'s sister ship. Most successful submarine films ("Run Silent, Run Deep", "Das Boot", "Crimson Tide", "K-19 The Widowmaker") are not so much action movies as character-driven psychological dramas. Unfortunately, the makers of "Above us the Waves" did not seem very interested in either character or psychology. There is little attempt at characterisation beyond superficial stereotyping (cheerful Cockney, cheerful Aussie, cheerful Irishman, dour Scot, etc.) and no attempt at psychological depth beyond the sort of stiff-upper-lip stoicism that was often assumed by film-makers of this period to be the habitual demeanour of the British serviceman.
The leader of the raid (here called Commander Fraser) is played by John Mills, an actor who never seemed very military in bearing but spent much of his career playing members of His Majesty's Armed Forces, from the humble private in "Waterloo Road" all the way up to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in "Oh! What a Lovely War!" Neither he, however, nor any of the other cast members succeeds in bringing much individuality to their roles. Some post-war British war films (and some American ones too) have become classics, but "Above us the Waves" is simply a routine, and rather dull, flagwaving tale of How We Won the War. 5/10 -
russellalancampbell17 February 2019To some viewers and reviewers, the characters and dialogue may seem false and smack of British stiff upper lip propaganda. Can't see how the film was aimed at being propaganda seeing it was made in 1955! Secondly, people were different in the times depicted in the film. Overly emotional self-indulgence had not yet become adopted as being a requirement of drama or depictions of warfare. This film reminds me of "A Night to Remember" and comes under the same criticisms from those who cannot understand that people were once different and did not emote or panic at every opportunity. Low key and realistic is a relief from films that are a series of explosions and rants.
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rmax3048231 October 2009I kind of enjoy these test war-time adventures, even when they're a little stilted, as this one is. John Mills is the commander of a flotilla of three midget submarines towed to a Norwegian fjord in which the Ruddy Great Battleship Tirpitz is moored. Two of the boats deliver their load of explosives under the keel of the Tirpitz and damage her, while the third boat explodes and its crew die.
There's nothing extraordinarily good or bad about this engaging enterprise. John Mills is good, as usual, though without any individualizing quirks. The men banter quite a bit, as usual. There are no scenes on the beach, in which men romance their young women or get into inter-service brawls in the pubs, and there are no dissolves with harps leading to flashbacks of the men's happy home lives, which is not usual.
What is usual, is that our side completes its mission, though at considerable cost. The explosives go off before the Tirpitz has time to build up enough steam to gain way. The damage was severe but the Allies had to presume she was still seaworthy and kept an inordinate number of British ships in the area, pinning them down. The Tirpitz was finally sunk by jumbo bombs from Lancasters in 1944. In a way, it was too bad because the Tirpitz, like the Bismark, was a beautifully designed ship, a pleasure to look at, as if it had been the work of an architect rather than a marine engineer.
Well, war often destroys beautiful things. It also produces entertainment about brave and adventurous men, like this film. -
horsegal2515 May 2002This is a brilliant Naval film. The failed midgit submarines, that caused heavy casualties, when attepmting to sink the so called "Unsinkable" Tirpitz. John Mills plays the part of a captain very well, in the struggle to prove them, and then failing. With Lyndon Brook, and Lee Patterson to, it makes a great movie. Deffintaly worth seeing!
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An incredible ensemble creates memorable characterizations in this world war drama about a British submarine core which heads to Norway to destroy the German battleship, the Tirpitz, and the tensions which lead up to their attempt. Lead by John Mills, John Gregson, Donald Sinden and James Robertson Justice, the ensemble of actors playing officers, enlisted men, volunteers and Nazi's are superb. They travel thousands of miles, not without incident (including a mine stuck to their tail), hide their fears througu delirious good cheer, and find themselves trapped under the Tribitz with the risk of being blown up themselves, and later, some of them are captured and brought aboard the battleship (led by Theodore Bikel in a role similar to what he had played in "The African Queen") and brutally questioned. All seems hopeless by this point, but being a war film made by filmmakers on the side of the allies, there's always a chance that the mission might succeed at the last minute.
This isn't your typical feel good flag waver. In fact, it's a bit of a bittersweet war adventure that scores more for the tension than the success of the mission. After the war, you didn't need to show the fantasy side of the allies always winning, so reality took a bigger hand in guiding these stories. The script doesn't overdo the comic bits. In fact, the comic moments are quite subtle and the writing is also quite fair in showing the Germans in a multi dimensional way. At one point, one of the German ship's officers commends the British for their bravery. Excellent photography and editing aids this in being an above average look at one of thousands of missions and keeps the audience engrossed. -
Watched it because I just read the book "Above us the waves" by CET Warren and James Benson. If this period and submarine technology interests you, I highly recommend the book. The first chapters especially, portray the incredible hardships and courage involved in the development of the midget submarines and the human torpedos.
The film doesn´t quite capture this, but it is intersting to see the equipment in action. Would have been nice to have a more detailed account of the men who died in the training and develpment phase, and an more detailed account of the escape to Sweden after the first attempt. Still, an entertaining war film. -
maccas-5636727 March 2020A lot of woolen knit jumpers, cosy duffle coats and British stiff upper lip. This is a good black and white British war film about a true life event.
John Mills was well suited to his role. The film itself is nothing amazing or remarkable, but solid nevertheless. They succeeded in creating a claustrophobic submarine atmosphere, along with an effective dose of suspense throughout.
I was never bored while watching. These brave men deserved their efforts to be put to film, so that more people know of their sacrifices.
The German battleship Tirpitz was a direct threat to my own grandfather during WWII - as he was Royal Navy, taking part in the Arctic Convoys, delivering supplies to the USSR (in Murmansk). This personal connection added an extra element of interest for me.
Recommend to those who enjoy old school British war films and John Mills! -
JurijFedorov11 October 2023Historical accuracy: 7 Acting: 6 Camera work: 7 Editing: 7 Budget: 7 Story: 4 Theme: 6 Pure entertainment factor: 6 Video quality: 7 Special effects: 9 Pacing: 5 Suspension of disbelief: 8 Non-cringe factor: 7 Lack of flashbacks: 10
I really wanted to like it more than I did. I watch a lot ot British WW2 movies currently and this is one about a true story so you'd figure it would be better than the fictional stories. Yet this is not. It's not bad as such, it's just that it doesn't really make for a great movie. The story itself is way too empty and short. This should have been a 1 hour mini movie at most. This is a real story of 10 mini subs getting transported to Norway, then diving the rest of the way themselves to place mines under Tirpitz. 3 subs get close to the ship. 2 leave the explosive bombs under the ship and here all 3 subs sink while the crew from 2 subs is captured. Not sure what actually happened to the crew, but I assume they were not captured? Also, the movie only shows a few men and only 3 or so subs. So we actually get a wrong depiction of the scope of the mission. I think the story not being on par could be overlooked more if the movie was a 1 to 1 recreation.
We follow the men as they train and just talk about random stuff. They actually don't really talk about family, military, war, medals, wage, cards, music, movies. It's mostly just empty talk and a few mentions of dating and such. The dialogue is frankly way below par for these sort of movies set post WW2 with the men who did the missions advising them directly and often even writing or acting in the movies too. Sure it's realistic enough much of the time, but they talk about nothing so there is not much to screw up anyhow. We get very few technical details or details about their lives. And this is one of the 26 or so attacks on the ship. This one at least damaged the ship, but it did get repaired and was sunk with an airplane bombing years later where the Germans messed up and didn't intersect the British planes. A mistake that finally doomed the ship. And a full movie really should have been about more than the failed mission with divers and then another semi-success with bigger subs. At least it could have created a plot around this one mission. Maybe we see the family at home or some women the men are dating. They promise to return. At the end we see them return post the war. Just a tiny story like this. Or a mom finally meeting her son after the war. That would be a potent and strong story to at least make me feel something. We are just in the subs and the dialogue, while being true to real war I assume, is on the nose with them only talking about what the subs do. And since we don't get many shots from outside the subs we are just in a small room in black and white. It gets dull pretty fast. The camera work doesn't even try to make it interesting. We just see a camera filming straight on and men talking about what the sub does.
The diver scenes are glorious and better than what you will find in any modern movies not filmed using real WW2 gear. But even these scenes were often just placed in with no plot making us emotionally connected to the divers. You didn't even know how nervous they were. There were just too many men and zero family life. And with so many men not a single character got a storyline. No 2 characters even created a storyline together. Of course this is a curious and important enough movie for the sake of history alone, but even here it doesn't really give a ton of info. It reminds me of John Ford's and John Wayne's They Were Expendable (1945) that used real WW2 boats and a giant budget to show us the war in the Philippines. It too kinda went nowhere. But at least there there was dating, some action, plenty of sets, and more real WW2 gear. It too was a missed opportunity to drag us into the war. But with big enough sets you at least see the war.
I think a more character and story focused movie like Sink the Bismarck! (1960) was way more engaging. The fictional, but very realistic The Cruel Sea (1953) also did character studies fine enough though nothing great. The Dam Busters (1955) was really fun! We Dive at Dawn (1943) was decent fun if you like fiction too. I could name 10 more movies using real WW2 sets, ships, boats that were more engaging story wise. This one is just right about okay. For a tiny set airplane raid movie I would recommend Twelve O'Clock High (1949). These are mostly small set and cheap WW2 movies made during or right after WW2. I could mention 10 more and of course bigger budget movies are often better. But these feel similar in size. Just tiny stories focusing on one mission. With a small set of characters. -
sharomar114 April 2015Reference A Boy's Own Story. It was actually Donald Sinden and not John Gregson who pushed the mine away. Otherwise a good summary as are all the others. I had not seen this film for many years and it brought back memories of an earlier time when things were so much simpler The acting was good and the Brit stiff upper lip was very evident. The actions of the Germans was as I expect they were in the German Navy. At the time of the making of this movie many Brit movies, whether comedy or drama were being made and the acting was good and there were no overt scenes of gratuitous sex and violence in those days. It would have been good in color but not much of that in those days.
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British cinema had its most distinguished period after WW2, notably between 1945 and 1970, during which time it produced masterpieces that ranged from comedies (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, other Ealing comedies; supernatural/psycho horrow films such as DEAD OF NIGHT, THE INNOCENTS; love stories like BRIEF ENCOUNTER; and war films like DAM BUSTERS, CRUEL SEA, COLDITZ STORY. BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, FIVE FINGERS, WE DIVE AT DAWN, GUNS OF NAVARONE, ABOVE US THE WAVES).
I am fond of the latter. I first saw it on TV in Swaziland, Africa, and was promptly impressed by the British stiff upper lip, as portrayed by a fantastic cast that includes such solid actors as James Robertson Justice, John Mills, Donald Sinden, John Gregson, among others - including some four or five German-speaking actors, notably the Tirpitz commander, who are totally convincing.
B&W photography is highly competent, but understandably limited because this was not a high budget film. Direction by Ralph Thomas is very tight and coherent, with scenes in the submarines particularly effective, highlighting all the potentially deadly hazards.
Screenplay also a tad limited, but credible. Ending is an example of simplicity and effectiveness, with John Mills quietly but perceptibly bitterly, reflecting on his upcoming detention in a camp. Strongly recommended if you are interested in 1) British film making; 2) Solid acting; 3) WW2. -
simon.conder20 June 2004This is yet another example of the fantastic films that Britain USED TO MAKE. Great acting, powerful direction and real emotion.
I saw in at the cinema a few weeks back and it really still packs a punch. I must get this one and others like the Cruel Sea on DVD.
If only we could make films like this again.
Why is it that we could make such great films 30 or 40 years back and now we have so many problems? Actually I think I know that answer to that one already.
I think that it would be interesting to remake this film but it would have to be made by a top flight director I think -
bkoganbing31 December 2011John Mills heads the cast in Above The Waves, the true story about a team of courageous volunteers from the British Navy who in three midget submarines sink the German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord where it is anchored and seemingly impregnable. The only thing that Above The Waves lacks is a snappy theme song along the lines of Sink The Bismarck and Guns Of Navarone.
When Hitler invaded Norway it was to capture that long Atlantic coastline with its deep water fjords, the better to house his Atlantic fleet and harass and sink allied lend lease shipping to Russia to Murmansk and Archangel. With its sister ship the Bismarck sunk, the battleship Tirpitz was the crown jewel of the fleet and in that fjord where it was docked near nigh impregnable like those guns on the isle of Navarone.
Admiral James Robertson Justice in a similar role to that which he played in The Guns Of Navarone commissions John Mills to put a team together to man three midget submarines. These little ships which only carry a crew of four were something like underwater PT boats. Service in a submarine is close quarters in any event, service in these vessels could induce claustrophobia if you had that tendency.
These incredibly courageous men in three of these vessels sailed into the fjord and put explosives right at the keel of the Tirpitz an act that requires a set of brass ones. The biggest set had to belong to Donald Sinden who had a harrowing scene kicking away a mine which had gotten caught in a tow line.
This is as it happened, the Tirpitz capsized in the fjord and was out of action for about a year. Later it was sunk in the open sea during battle.
Big kudos go to John Mills and the cast who brought this film to the screen. And this review is dedicated to those courageous volunteers from the Royal Navy who did this job in real life. -
barjo-915-20322917 April 2017This movie depicts "Operation Source" the Royal Navy's secret operation to destroy the Tirpitz. This is probably the best movie depicting midget submarines and chariots. Sir John Mills in fine form, and made in the mid 1950s, depicts gear, uniforms and setting not too far from the era. Plot line, it actually follows the basic facts of the real operation, and an earlier operation involving chariots. Some tense moments in the mini subs, and it says a lot for a film where a lot of drama can occur just in one set. Germans are all speaking German and don't come across as 2 dimensional which is always good - though no subtitles (they didn't get used in film before the 1960s). Only problem I would say is the film doesn't make it clear what the results of the mission were, but a minor point.
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ken613uk2 December 2009I have just seen the film for the umpteenth time and of course the facts as portrayed in the film are not always a true reflection of the actual reports of the raid. Incidents that are shown as the interior of a submarine that was destroyed can be nothing other than fiction. Some of the episodes were factually correct therefore I find that the comment by mailmartinbuckley regarding the scene where Donald Sinden fends off a mine with his feet was misplaced. It was a recreation of the incident where Lt.B.C.G Place from X7 did exactly that. If he refers to bbc.co.uk/history and enters "Tirpitz" he can read the account of the raid by Dr.Eric Grove, a naval historian
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searchanddestroy-128 December 2022As I recently said about SINK THE BISMARK, UK film industry in the fifties and early sixties brought us great films, war films, I mean. DAM BUSTERS, SINK THE BISMARK, this very one, CARVE HER NAME WITH PRIDE, BATTLE OF RIO DE LA PLATA, WE DIVE AT DAWN.... Not necessarily dumb propaganda films, such a most of Russian movies or even patriotic US features. Those British films were pretty well made, with solid characterization, suspense, and excellent camera work. German enemy was also not always showed as dumb Nazis whom we could nearly laugh at. These English features were for me the best war movies before THE LONGEST DAY like huge production emerged in the sixties. The rest of "Allied"( but not German !!!) cinema war films - except some rare items such as Bob Aldrich's ATTACK - the other war films are garbage for me. Good American and British against Evil Nazis. Evil, maybe, but certainly not jerks.....This submarine war film is not at the level of DAS BOOT, from director Wolfgang Petersen, of course - no film will ever arrive at its ankle - but I highly recommend it to any war film buff.