Seeing a P&P looking distinctly modern in VistaVision wasn't the only odd thing about this film. I think that Powell was so pleased with himself for organising four large ships to appear in his film that he overlooked that this true story from 1939 (three allied ships in search of one German one) isn't that interesting. It also takes a big detour into Montenegro so that thousands of extras can look at the harbour. It's too big and long, there are too many cast members and the humour seems forced (particularly the far too large group of officers below deck on the enemy ship). This great relationship between the Lee and Finch characters which Emeric leapt on as the emotional key to the story doesn't really come through.
In fact thinking on it, it might have been a better story to write about free, buzzing Montenegro in the early days of World War Two, and use the Graf Spee story as a sub-story to that.
With Bernard Lee, Anthony Quayle, Peter Finch, John Gregson, Ian Hunter and lots of other people, including Christopher Lee.
Nicely photographed by Chris Challis; music by Brian Easdale. Powell particularly valued the help of editor Reginald Mills, who as usual had the film assembled within days of completion.
Not entirely without interest of course - battle at sea has convincing scenes of damage wrought by Germans.
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