{"id":27937,"date":"2025-06-23T07:38:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T06:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=27937"},"modified":"2025-06-26T18:12:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T17:12:21","slug":"film-review-the-enemy-below-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=27937","title":{"rendered":"FiLM REViEW: The Enemy Below, 1957"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image source: IMDb.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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WWII naval cat and mouse, set in the Caribbean, between Robert Mitchum\u2019s US Navy Destroyer Escort and Kurt Jurgens\u2019 U-Boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small scale – just two antagonists – is quite good, as it means the limits of pre-CGI film making don\u2019t spoil things (cf w 1956s Battle of The River Plate). Indeed, part of this movies\u2019 charm is how much procedural business features. Lovers of military\/naval history ought to enjoy this. I know I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They sketch in a bit of the two commanders\u2019 pasts: Mitchum was a civvy Freighter man, and Jurgens a WWI U-boat man. Curt is jaded, and Mitchum was widowed by a U-boat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jurgens and Mitchum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For a war movie it\u2019s quite feel-good and upbeat. It\u2019s certainly a fun watch. The procedural aspects lend hints of realism. But there\u2019s a line of \u2018noble warriors\u2019 sentiment running through the movie, that – whilst making for great entertainment – feels less realistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of models vs real boats, something that, prior to CGI, could be an Achilles heel – both in terms of authenticity and looking credible (suspension of disbelief, etc.) – is handled very well. Only at the film\u2019s denouement does the use of models become very obvious. And even then it\u2019s well enough done to charm rather than irritate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, the ending is an altogether fittingly exciting and well rendered climax to a very satisfying bit of WWII naval entertainment. Not a classic, perhaps. But worth watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The movie was based on this book.*<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

*The book is actually the story of a British naval encounter with a U-boat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WWII naval cat and mouse, set in the Caribbean, between Robert Mitchum\u2019s US Navy Destroyer Escort and Kurt Jurgens\u2019 U-Boat. The small scale – just two antagonists – is quite good, as it means the limits of pre-CGI film making don\u2019t spoil things (cf w 1956s Battle of The River Plate). Indeed, part of this … <\/p>\n

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