Naval Combat Movies by Troy Whigham
	It's July. It's hot. What better way to cool off than to spend some time in, on, and under the water. For those of us who prefer to stay indoors and out of the sun, here's some movies that are almost as good as being there. These are some of my favorites, ranked in order. 1) "Das Boot". With Jurgen Prochnow as the commander of a German U-boat in World War Two. I first saw this film when it was released in the U.S. theatres in German with English subtitles. It blew me away. On a big screen, with German actors speaking German, this movie really put me right in the cabin of that submarine, breathing that chlorine gas and diesel fume fog that permeates the boat's air. Since then, I've picked up the "director's cut" on video tape, which has two major differences from the theatrical release. First, the voices have been dubbed into English. Second, they've added about an hour's worth of additional footage. I understand why the film was dubbed into English - you can sell more movie tapes to the general public if they don't have to squint at subtitles on a 21" tv screen. You also don't have to worry about the reading level of the audience - not everyone can read as fast as they can hear. But - I prefer to have the Germans speak German. It just seems more authentic that way, and the movie has done a good job at authenticity already. As for the additional footage, its been so long since I saw the first release that I wasn't able to really tell what was new and what wasn't, but it did seem to me that the beginning took a little longer that it needed to. I felt like the character development was extended unnecessarily. If you can find this movie on tape in German with English subtitles, by all means get it. Heck, get it in any form you can. Its that good. 2) "Operation Pacific". With John Wayne as the commander of a U.S. submarine operating in the Pacific shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Patricia Neal as the girl he left behind in Hawaii. I have a soft spot for any war movie made during World War Two. Add to that the fact that John Wayne is the lead actor, that its got a vice admiral as its technical director, and that it has a pretty good plot to boot, well, you can see why I rated it so high. My version is in glorious black and white, which is the way it should be seen. During the course of the movie, John Wayne rescues a group of nuns from an island that's been overrun by the Japanese, engineers a method for nursing a baby on the voyage back to Hawaii, develops an improved torpedo back at Pearl Harbor, and then smashes a Japanese armada in Leyte Gulf. And in his spare time he rescues several downed airmen, one of whom happens to be his competitor for Patricia Neal's hand. The action is hot, the humor is funny, and John Wayne is John Wayne. A very entertaining flick for the entire family. 3) "The Enemy Below." With Robert Mitchum as the captain of a US Navy destroyer chasing a German submarine commanded by Curd Jurgens. Made in 1957, no other movie I've seen has had this kind of cat-and-mouse drama as each captain tries to out maneuver the other. I really began to respect both commanders as they use all of their skills to survive the encounter. The ending of the chase is worth watching over and over (don't worry, I won't spoil it for you). Fans of the original "Star Trek" tv show will recognize a similarity between this movie and the now-classic "A Balance Of Terror" episode where the Enterprise is chasing a Romulan raider (by the way, it was one of the first tv episodes on television to deal with racial issues although in an indirect way - the human navigator accuses Spock of being a Romulan sympathizer because he looks just like the enemy). Based on a novel by D.A. Rayner and filmed in color, it's a good movie to keep in the library. 4) "In Harm's Way" With John Wayne and Kirk Douglas as US Navy officers fighting the enemy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and Patricia Neal as the woman they leave behind in Hawaii ( I see a pattern here). Kirk Douglas is a riot as John Wayne's right-hand-man, particularly after they lose their ship and are transferred to shore duties. John Wayne tries to patch things up with Patricia Neal and his son, while Kirk Douglas ends up at a Navy shipping depot looking very much like Robinson Crusoe. The film was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Cinematography" when it was released in 1965 and it really is a good picture. The only complaint I've ever heard about came from Kirk Douglas, who said that during the sea battle scenes, the ship models used for the battles looked a little off because there weren't any sailors scrambling around on them. Hey, this was 1965. What do you expect? Get the widescreen version to fully enjoy the scenes. 5) "The Bedford Incident." With Richard Widmark as the captain of a destroyer that's chasing a Soviet submarine across the North Atlantic during the height of the Cold War. Sidney Poitier is a correspondent on assignment on the ship looking for a story, and recognizes the inherent danger of a destroyer with nuclear missiles chasing a Soviet submarine with nuclear missiles and he often gets involved in confrontations with the captain. The chase continues across the polar icecap, the destroyer trying to dodge icebergs and the submarine trying to shake the destroyer. Eventually both ships square off in a test of wills. Look for "Dano" from "Hawaii Five-O" as a sailor on the bridge. He plays a crucial role in the outcome of the film, which is a bit disturbing. Based on the novel "The Bedford Incident" by Mark Raskovitch; filmed in black and white. Click to continue . . .		6) "Hunt For Red October" with Sean Connery as a Soviet submarine captain commanding a vessel built with the latest in Soviet submarine technology - the "caterpillar" propulsion system. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan, an analyst with the CIA that tries to keep the Navy from sinking the Soviet sub (named "Red October"). Scott Glenn is the US submarine captain that's tracking the "Red October" and who drags Alec Baldwin along on the chase. This is one of the best Tom Clancy novels to be turned into a major film production and a movie worth watching. Sam Neill is the second in command of the "Red October", who's dream is to own a pickup truck and live in Montana. James Earl Jones is the admiral in charge of the whole operation. That's four big names and a great author. See the movie. You won't be disappointed. 7) "Crimson Tide" Gene Hackman is a Cold Warrior submarine captain and Denzel Washington is The New Navy and second in command. A revolution in the Soviet republics flares up and their boat, the "Alabama", is sent in to protect US interests. During the cruise they engage a hostile Russian submarine which damages their radio gear, leaving them with an incomplete "Launch" message. Gene Hackman is ready to push the button; Denzel Washington doesn't want to. Command of the vessel shifts between the two leaders as the submarine crew is forced to take sides. For some reason, I kept imagining Sidney Poitier in the role played by Denzel Washington - Wait! Its "The Bedford Incident" retold, but without the mutinies! Still, the movie is pretty good. I thought the ending was very well done and honorable, and not as disturbing as "The Bedford Incident". Incidentally, during the film the characters make references to two submarine films contained in this list. 8) "Run Silent, Run Deep" with Clark Gable as a US Navy commander who returns to sea duty after losing his previous ship to a Japanese attack. Burt Lancaster is his second in command. Look for Don Rickles in the crew. One of the better submarine movies I've seen, although its been awhile since I've caught it on cable tv. Edward Beach wrote the book upon which the movie is based, but I haven't read it so I don't know how closely it tracks with the movie. 9) "We Dive At Dawn" with a bunch of British actors you've probably never heard of. Filmed during WW2, the story is about a British submarine crew that is sent out to sink a German battleship named "Brandenburg". Plotting a course based on faulty intelligence, the submarine misses its attack rendezvous and the captain decides to chase his quarry into enemy waters. I had some trouble understanding the actors' lines in the beginning of the film, but once I got used to the thick accents I was able to follow the plot along. My copy is on tape in EP mode so the picture and sound clarity is a bit muddled, but its still a pretty good flick. There's plenty of action, including a commando raid on a German camp, and like I said earlier - I have a soft spot for any war movie made during World War Two. Filmed in black and white. 10) "Under Seige" with Steven Segal as an ex-SEAL turned ship's cook. Ok, so its mostly a reason for Tommy Lee Jones to play a hippy terrorist and Erika Eleniak to look beautiful, but any movie that features the USS Missouri is ok in my book. Plenty of guns, plenty of action, plenty of explosives, and just a bit of nudity when Erika Eleniak pops out of the cake (the scene is played for humor). If you're a naval combat purist, this movie may not be for you. There are some other movies that I've left off of this list, such as "Tora Tora Tora" and "Midway". Even though these two films were about naval attacks on naval forces, I felt that they were really more about air combat than naval engagements. Besides, I've already coved them in last month's installment. There were also all of those James Bond movies that involved ships, submarines, and undersea platforms, but those were mostly movies about spies and espionage than naval battles. When I was compiling this list, I noticed that 8 out of the 10 movies involved submarines. I don't know if this is a statement about my personal preferences or just the fact that the movie industry doesn't do large-scale "give them a broadside!" naval battle films. Maybe its time somebody made a film about Admiral Nelson and the Spanish Armada, or the engagements around Guadalcanal. Now that'd be a movie worth seeing!
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