100 BEST WAR MOVIES: #71. Greyhound (2020)

 

 

                The movie was directed by Aaron Schneider (his second feature film), but I would guess he deferred to star Tom Hanks.  Hanks wrote the screenplay based on the novel The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester.  The film used the USS Kidd, which is a WWII destroyer that is on display in Baton Rouge, La.  It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound.  It also got a BAFTA nomination for that and a nomination for Best Visual Effects.  It cost $50 million.  Apple TV bought it for $70 million and it went straight to streaming.  The pandemic effected its release. 

            The movie opens with some quotes from Churchill and FDR to set the stage.  The U.S. Navy is helping escort troop and supply ships across the Atlantic.  The convoys are most vulnerable when they are transiting the “Black Pit” which refers to the area in the North Atlantic where there is no air cover.  The USS Keeling (code name “Greyhound”) leads a group of four destroyers that are escorting a 37-ship convoy to Liverpool.  Commander Krausse (Hanks) is new to the ship and this will be his first escort mission.  The movie jumps straight into the “Black Pit” and it does not take long for things to heat up.  For the next two days, it will be a cat and mouse game with a wolfpack of German u-boats.  Greyhound is in the thick of the fight and by the time it reaches air cover again it will run the gamut of experiences a destroyer might have in the Battle of the Atlantic.

ACTING:                      A

ACTION:                      A   9/10 (quantity)

ACCURACY:               A  (it follows the book pretty closely)

PLOT:                           B

REALISM:                   B

CINEMATOGRAPHY:     A (the CGI is amazing)

SCORE:                        B  (combination horror/action)

 

BEST SCENE:  the attack on the u-boat that hits it and kills some men

BEST QUOTE:  Captain Ernest Krause: This is the captain. We are running down the target. Let us attend our duties well. This is what we've trained for.

                There is a thriving subgenre of submarine movies, but few movies from above the surface.  “Greyhound” differs from the similar “The Enemy Below” because it focuses just on the destroyer.  In fact, other than a flashback to Krause proposing to his girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue), which seemed to be thrown in to get a female on the poster, the movie takes place only on the Keeling.  Clocking in at a tidy 91 minutes, the movie eschews character development in favor of almost nonstop action.  Even Krausse is a cipher, although we learn he is religious and a cool customer.  It may be his first escort mission, but he knows his craft.  The movie is an excellent study in command.  Krausse has to make decisions with little time to consider the pros and cons.  The stress is written all over his face. 

The movie does not have time for the usual clichés.  The crew does not side eye their new captain.  He does not have to earn their respect.  There is a brief head-scratching moment, but it quickly turns out that Krausse is a u-boat killer.  There is no dysfunction as Krausse’s exec Lt. Commander Cole (the reliable Stephen Graham) is loyal and competent.  In fact, the whole crew performs well.  Hanks’ screenplay makes a point of sub-plotting an African-American messmate, but there is little time to develop anyone.  Hanks and the USS Keeling dominate. The ship is Hanks’ co-star.  It gives the action aboard the ship a very authentic look.

            In lieu of character development, the movie concentrates on action.  It helps if you are knowledgeable about WWII submarine warfare and nautical terminology.  The dialogue is heavy on jargon and is not dumbed down for a mass audience.  Kudos to screenwriter Hanks for doing his research.  I had to do a lot of translating for my wife (ex. starboard is right and port is left).  Hanks throws in some cryptic quotes, but the most creative dialogue comes from a u-boat captain that taunts Krausse.  It’s a bit cheesy and unrealistic, but fun and reminiscent of an earlier style of war movie and adds that “USA! USA!” emotion. 

The action is a buffet as we see a variety of combat, but if you know anything about the ferocity of wolfpack attacks, the movie does not steer into outrageous.  It all could have happened, just not to one destroyer on one mission.  Hey, it’s a movie.  The CGI is not a problem.  I was not distracted by it.  It helps that a real Fletcher-class destroyer was used for the interiors and exteriors.  Actually, the CGI was mainly used to create the horrific North Atlantic climate conditions the convoys had to battle.  This was no pleasure cruise, u-boats or not.  Besides giving the recliner-sailing audience a feel for the conditions, the movie is an excellent tutorial on anti-submarine tactics.  And a nice homage to the men who risked their lives escorting convoys.  By the way, the Royal Navy gets its due and there should be no complaining like with “U-571”.

            “Greyhound” leapt to the top of the small subgenre of Battle of the Atlantic convoys. There are some pretty good movies like “Action in the North Atlantic” and “Western Approaches.”  It is better because it puts you on board a tin can when it is dueling with a wolf pack. Although not a true story, it is the best tutorial on anti-submarine warfare that is available. It may be over the top in its action, but nothing ridiculous happens.