NOW STREAMING: Greyhound (2020)

                I had been waiting for this movie for a couple of years.  I heard about it early because they filmed on the USS Kidd which is a floating museum in Baton Rouge, La.  I have been on the ship numerous times and have even slept on board several times.  Those overnites were with my History Club.  It was always a great experience, other than worrying about what those teenagers might be getting into.  Sleeping in a berth on a warship is something every war movie fan should have on their bucket list. 

                It took longer to see the film than I anticipated.  It’s release was delayed by the pandemic and the studio ended up deciding to junk the theatrical opening and go straight to streaming.  It just so happened that the new Apple + TV was hoping to get attention in the crowded streaming market and it bought the film for $70 million (the movie cost $50 million).  I bet Apple is praying people like me go beyond the free trial.  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 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-named 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.  The Keeling 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.

                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 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 Greyhound dominate.

                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.  I hope some of the veterans of WWII tin cans get to see it in the museum theater at the USS Kidd memorial.  By the way, the Royal Navy gets its due and there should be no complaining like with “U-571”.

                The year 2020 really sucks, but it has actually been a pretty good year for war movies.  Just in the last week I have seen “The Outpost” and this movie.  And I didn’t have to go to a theater.  Same could be said for the excellent “Danger Close” and the better-than-expected “Da 5 Bloods”.  “Greyhound” is only the third best of that quartet, but it is still a must-see for war movie fans.  This movie has no frills.    It probably should have been longer to allow for fleshing out of the characters, but it is refreshing to see a movie that concentrates on the warfare aspect of a war movie without going the combat porn route.  Get that free trial.  Plus Apple TV + has some other good war movies you can watch in a week.

GRADE = A

ANTIQUE or CLASSIC? "Action in the North Atlantic"

    

     “Action in the North Atlantic” is a propagandistic war movie from 1943 that praises the Merchant Marine. It stars Humphrey Bogart as Humphrey Bogart. It was shot entirely on the Warner Brothers back lot and sound stages. It was used as a recruiting film for the Merchant Marine and also as a training film. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. At one point during the filming, drunken Bogart and Massey replaced their stunt men for a dive from a burning ship.


     The movie opens strong with the S.S. Northstar being torpedoed by a u-boat. In one of the fieriest scenes in movie history (think “Backdraft” on a ship), they abandon ship. The dastardly German submarine commander rams their lifeboat and leaves laughing. It would be great if they could get revenge on that bastard!

     After eleven days on a raft (with no visible food or water), they are back in port and then home. Capt. Jarvis (Raymond Massey) reunites with his loving wife who understands that “to a sailor’s wife, war is just another storm.” Meanwhile, Lt. Rossi (Bogart) punches out a guy blabbing about convoys and then marries a singer. The rest of the crew frequents the union hall waiting for another ship. This is one of the rare references to unions in movies from that time period. One sailor reluctant to risk his life again is shamed into being a patriot.

     The new ship is a Liberty ship called the "Seawitch". It joins an international convoy heading for Murmansk. Anyone expecting it to be a milk run – think again. There is a new officer on board, Cadet Parker from the Merchant Marine Academy. He shows Rossi a picture of his girl – cliché alert! In a fog bank, they tow a big wooden arrow so the next ship can follow. Another ship scrapes them.

     A wolfpack attacks the convoy. There is frantic action as the torpedoes wreak havoc and the convoy disperses. The escorts depth charge their foes. There are plenty of explosions. The Seawitch gets to fire its deck gun at submarines that inexplicably are on the surface in daylight. When the battle ends, they are alone, but being stalked by u-boat-know-who. It is a cat and mouse game and during the night both go silent.

     The next day, they are attacked by two German flying boats (obvious models, but authentic). They strafe and both are shot down because in war movies anti-aircraft crews on cargo ships are unbelievably accurate. The second plane crashes into the ship in a very fake looking effect. Guess what soon to be married character is killed? Dude, never show a picture of your girl in a war movie!

     Suddenly they are torpedoed. Rossi (in command because Jarvis was injured in the plane attack) orders fires to be set and smoke made to lure the stupid Germans up. Sure enough, it works. Dramatically the Seawitch comes out of the smoke and rams the u-boat. Turn about is fair play. The pompous German commander drowns. High five! Somehow Rossi knows it’s the same sub.

     They arrive to cheering crowds in Murmansk. The Russians love us. We get a montage of merchant ships and some FDR quotes to swell the audience's pride a little more before they got in their Model As to go home.

     The movie is actually not that bad for a propaganda piece made during the war. It is preachy, but not overly so. The action is good as is the acting. The cast has a lot of recognizable faces and their sailor banter below decks is humorous in a 1940s way. The special effects are low grade, but what do you expect for the time period? The duel with the sub is a little ridiculous and unrealistic so the ending does not match the first set piece.

Classic or antique? Classic.

Rating – 7/10