Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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87 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping Psychological Thriller, February 16, 2001
I've never seen a more suspenseful movie than this forgotten classic. In my opinion, this is the best cold war movie ever made.In the Arctic a US Navy ship is commanded by a ruthless captain who demands more of his crewmen than they are able to give. The captain's mission is to shadow the movements of a Russian submarine as it tries to hide among the icebergs. Another reviewer has pointed to the similarity between this story and Moby Dick -absolutely true, and I hadn't thought of that before. It's also a bit like Crimson Tide, but more tense and much more believable. Eric Portman does a perfect job as the ex U-Boat commander. The role is loosely based on the real life postwar career of Erich Topp, one of the most successful U-Boat commanders of WW2, who later became an adviser to NATO. James MacArthur (Hawaii 5-0's Danno) also does a nice job as the crewman driven to distraction by fatigue. Martin Balsam stands out as the burnt-out doctor, too fearful to confront his captain. By the climax of this movie, you'll be on the edge of your seat, watching with a growing sense of dread as the unfortunate mix of characters causes events to spin inexorably out of control. The script, the direction, and the acting are all great. This is how movies are supposed to be.
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41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
great performance, good film, August 7, 2004
Similar to some other films of the cold war genre ("Seven Days in May", "Fail-Safe"), this has a decidedly anti-war/anti-military slant, where in this case the two people who are most "in control" are a journalist, played by Sidney Poitier, and an ex-Nazi naval commander (well played by Eric Portman).
This is Richard Widmark's show though, who with his craggy looks and fierce eyes makes the most of his part as Eric Finlander, captain of the U.S.S. Bedford, patrolling the icy waters of the North Atlantic, looking for Soviet submarines. Finlander is a loose cannon, bypassed for promotion, and irrationally hard on his crew.
Others in the cast of note are James MacArthur, very good as a young ensign, Martin Balsam as the ship's doctor, Wally Cox, Michael Kane, and in a small part, Donald Sutherland, recognizable more by his unique voice than his face.
The sound is fantastic; from the first few minutes, with its combination of excellent modernistic score by Gerard Schurmann, howling wind, and circling helicopter, it captures one's attention, and keeps the tension going in this fine sea thriller. It also has some stylish b&w cinematography by Gilbert Taylor, with terrific contrast of light and shadow.
Entertaining and well paced, with every minute of Widmark's screen time riveting, this taut drama is well worth spending 102 minutes of your time on.
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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"If he fires one, I'll fire one"..., July 23, 2002
Prophetic words from this mid 60's cold war drama.Richard Widmark stars as Captain Eric Finlander, the commander of the USS Bedford, a sub-chasing destroyer on patrol in the Denmark Strait. The Captain runs the tightest of ships, stands no nonsense, and keeps his men on a sharp edge. Recent arrivals on board his ship, are Ben Munceford, a reporter on assignment (Sidney Poitier) and the ship's new medical officer, Lt. Commander Chester Potter (Martin Balsam). The Bedford's current assignment, is to track the movements of a Russian submarine, code named "Big Red". After reporting that "Big Red" has violated international law, Finlander is ordered to just track the sub, and maintain surveillance, and not initiate a confrontation. A restrained Finlander grows restless, as the Russian sub runs under the ice. Another guest aboard the Bedford is Commodore Schrepke (Eric Portman), current West German Navy Officer, and a former German U-boat man. An expert on the subject of submarines, Findlander turns to him for analysis and advice. "Big Red" must surface sometime to take on air, and the Bedford trails, waiting. While negotiating through treacherous ice filled waters, the sub apparently hits something underwater, and disappears from the Bedford's sonar. This is the sets the stage for the film's memorable conclusion. Widmark commands attention as Finlander, a man who believes that he knows the proper way to deal with the enemy. Given this chance, he refuses to back off from teaching the Russians a lesson. Poitier, is solid as a reporter, who must constantly monitor his actions, so as to remain in the Captain's favor. Balsam, is amusing as an ex-civilian doctor, just returned to active duty. Attempting to implement his ideas into the ship's routine, and hitting a brick wall. James MacArthur plays a rattled ensign, and Wally Cox is a sonar operator, the only man Finlander shows any affection for. Cox's voice may be recognizable as that of the cartoon character "Underdog". As an interesting character study, and a look at the tenor of the times, "The Bedford Incident" is recommended viewing.
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