Awesome Movie

Absolutely brilliant

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Nice little gem of a movie dishing out suspense, thrills and drama using predator prey dynamics to capture the viewer's interest and hold it. We are taken aboard a military ship with a captain that has the power and never lets anyone forget it. Its not that he is mean but instead an on the edge leader that uses power and discipline to command a potent combination I might add and you will soon see. The crew apparently likes living on this edge with the Captain as explained in the film so pay attention to the dialogue. Making us sit-up and take notice is no less that three fine performances namely Richard Widmark, Sidney Pointer and Martin Balsam. None of them hold back when it is their turn and the supporting actors make it seem the necessary real to help us relate. At some point, the viewer believes they are on board this ship and involved in what is going on which is what fine movies should be doing. Look for a nice touch brought to us by a character who plays a German ex-sub commander giving feedback and input to the surface Captain (predator) which makes it as real as it can get. This guy knows what the sub Captain (prey) is thinking, feeling and wanting giving a supposed edge to the American Captain. One of the themes that play out is the question of how long can a crew stay at general quarters? A person can only maintain the highest alerts for only so long. We find out just how long that can be thus the drama in this movie. Good snack movie here with a tasty drink and the ending is classic in its bringing closure to the story in the most unusual way. The viewer is left to supply the details for themselves within seconds of the ending courtesy of the actors who actually deliver it and set it up that way. The Director drives home the point even more as you shall see. Enjoy the final few moments but before that, the set-up (movie)

this was billed as a C4 afternoon movie - a hard nosed cold war captain, now patrolling the oceans for Russians, with a crew that works to its captains every word, all working 100%, with no relapse something is going to go wrong, picked up by poitiers journalist and the doc, the journalist can see what is going to happen, the old German U boat captain with Eric portman doing his best to tell his friend to stop this game or will end in tragedy, this it does, and in a mistake by the weapons officer this game of chess is ultimately won....Its a superb film from shepperton studios, one of their many best, its one of them films that once you have watched it, you will want to see it again, a superb piece of work by the actors, and all the other people involved....I wont forget Finlanders face when he realises this game is over....

Released in 1965 at the height of the cold-war, this movie takes us on that one extra step.Richard Widmark plays the commander of an American surface warship out hunting for commie subs. He's the sort of maniac-in-authority who epitomised the worst nuclear nightmares. He's a hunter with a hunter's instinct. He would love to chalk-up a kill. And he hates the communists. It's a lethal psychology.Sydney Poitier is a visiting journalist. He's sailing with the ship at the navy's discretion, not at the captain's invitation. It's pretty evident that second only to commies, Widmark's character despises pacifist desk-jockeys.Theirs is an intimate and uncomfortable relationship.Eventually, they find a Russian submarine. They're in international waters so technically each is free to go where and as they please. Even if that means inconveniencing the other. A cat and mouse chase ensues. As time passes, the dangerous cocktail of the American commander's psychology tilts towards hunting rather than military discretion. His is the absolute right to command, and he gives the enemy no latitude.In his wildest imagination, the journalist can see where this must lead, but things can surely never arrive at that point - can they? These are war games, and he's bluffing - right? He's the commander, with absolute power, but naval authorities don't give a maniac that much authority - do they? No they don't. But appointments can never ultimately evaluate psychology. People change over time. And they react to the moment.A point is reached when the hunting instinct takes precedence over all else. An emotional switch that was never anticipated or it was always supposed would yield to discretion and responsible command is thrown in the single-minded resolve to beat the enemy.It's a nice tense thriller after the fashion of 'The Enemy Below' but without the Russian perspective. For that, Poitier is obliged to act as devil's advocate, which makes him even less endearing to the commander. Widmark does the 'unhinged' thing so well it is surprising that he didn't feature as a really bad guy more often. Poitier is still at his strongest and makes a very commanding if thoughtful presence. One or two other stalwarts also catch the eye, like Martin Balsam. Some of the location shots are showing their age a bit now, but the drama and antagonism keep the movie running at flank speed.Despite their colossal budgets, special-effects, and greater attention to detail, modern cold-war dramas never seem to capture that essential paranoia of the time. Perhaps economy of scale suits the genre best. I recently watched 'Crimson Tide', and although it contained a number of similarities - not least of which were black and white antagonists in the leading roles, and a do-or-die commander just itching for a scrap - I couldn't help but feel that whereas Widmark and Poitier were starring actors selected to tell a story; Crimson Tide was as much a vehicle to advertise Denzel Washington's and Gene Hackman's stellar status. It's a small shift in emphasis, but that's how it seemed to me.Watch 'The Bedford Incident' if you get the chance. It may not be the best cold-war movie, but it'll hold you attention right readily.

This is another take on the cat-and-mouse war games that was kick-started by The Enemy Below. The twist is that this time the U-boat commander is on the bridge of the American destroyer in an advisory capacity at the invitation of skipper Richard Widmark. Widmark just knows there's a Soviet sub down there somewhere and damned if he isn't going to wait it out whatever it takes. Instead of a full-on chase the screenplay carefully filters the action through the eyes of two newcomers who join the ship via helicopter whilst it is in mid voyage; Sydney Poitier is an eminent photo-journalist assigned to do a magazine story on Widmark whilst Martin Balsam is the new ship's doctor. All four are on top of their game and Wally Cox scores in a rare dramatic role although James McArthur is slightly wooden. With no 'action' in the accepted sense until the final reel the film holds the attention by simply racking up the tension. Excellent.