Ice Station Zebra

source: Ice Station Zebra

During the height of the Cold War, in the 1960's, Hollywood produced movies that not only portrayed the USSR as the bad guys but also gave hope for a thaw in the war. Ice Station Zebra was such a movie. The combination rescue mission and spy story makes for a good mix and Rock Hudson looks dashing as the commander of the sub sent to get to Zebra. Jim Brown is seen as a military figure like we saw in the Dirty Dozen, this time he is a Captain. Although the plot is a bit predictable, and the Station a bit fake, the story still holds up to the end and makes the 2 1/2 hour plus movie into a "page turner".

Why is it that Hollywood have such a problem with scripts? What is the horror of making a movie that actually has the same story as the book it took it's title from? This MIGHT be a good movie provided that you haven't read the book but if you have, -don't bother. The really good plot from the book that makes it impossible to put down the book until you have finished it is here transformed into a sad action caper with actors playing stereotypes. Sorry but i really don't like this movie. The only DECENT McLean film is "Where Eagles Dare", probably because he wrote the book AFTER the script for the movie.

Excruciatingly long and expensive "epic" submarine drama directed by John Sturges. The Russians have a spy on a submarine. The submarine is on an important mission to the North Pole - nobody is sure who it might be the spy. Along for the ride to "Ice Station Zebra" are suspects: Ernest Borgnine with a Russian accent, Patrick McGoohan being Patrick McGoohan, and Jim Brown being Jim Brown. Rock Hudson tries to keep a straight face as the mission commander. I found the movie and its characters so dull, I didn't care what happened to them. The movie's obvious expense might have been appealing in its day. The film has an intermission; and, I wondered, how many people returned for second half? The actors look more sweaty than cold during the film's icy end. You can find more excitement in a single episode of the old "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" TV series. *** Ice Station Zebra (10/23/68) John Sturges ~ Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown

I first saw this film when it was released in 1968 at the Summit Cinerama theater in Detroit, and it was a fantastic movie going experience. I think the first thing that draws you into this film is the rousing score by Michel Legrand and the marvelous cinematography. The engrossing story moves along at a good pace aided by some very intelligent and witty dialogue. A superb cast of seasoned professionals including Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown and especially a very suave and droll Patrick MacGoohan create fully realized characters that act and react in very real human emotions to some extremely tense and suspenseful situations. The next time you see this film in the TV listings, be sure to check it out and I think you will find it superior to many films of the same genre that have been made since. One thing I find puzzling is the fact that this classic has not been released on DVD, and I only hope it is very soon.

I saw Ice Station Zebra as I do like all three main actors, and this did seem like an interesting film. Sadly, while Ice Station Zebra is not a complete waste, it just didn't deliver in my opinion. I will start with the positives, the settings are spectacular with the photography capturing it very nicely, and the music gives the meaning to the words intense and dynamite. There are also two good performances, Rock Hudson is very likable and charismatic, and Patrick McGoohan is an always welcome presence in a very tight yet quite subtle performance. However, I wish I could say the same for Ernest Borgnine, I am very fond of Borgnine but I found he overacted here with an accent that sounded more silly than believable. The support cast just don't have enough enough time to shine. I think the main problem with Ice Station Zebra is the story, not the concept itself, I could tell right off the bat that a powerful telling of it was intended. Instead it was devoid of tension and suspense, and dare I say it, I just didn't find it exciting either, plus there was a comic element to it that was unintentional and quite irritating when you think of what Ice Station Zebra could've been. Another thing about the story was that it started off so well, but not only is there like 20 minutes of the film that are not needed perhaps but the last hour or so was rather meandering in my opinion. The film is also very long, which is not always a bad thing. Here though, what spoilt it was that the film does feel as though you are riding on the back of a snail and with no tension or excitement the whole effort seemed rather leaden. There are moments when the dialogue is sharp, with McGoohan faring the best of the lot, however there is some rather pointless and frothy exposition and sorry, I just couldn't take Borgnine's dialogue seriously. Also with a film of this length, you'd expect detail to characterisation, don't you think? How McGoohan's character was written showed there was potential for that, and Hudson actually rises above a character that I think for his calibre was rather bland. The Russians however come across as stereotypical. The direction has moments where it is assured, and it also has many parts where it is stodgy, that's disappointing considering it was John Sturges director of classics such as The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and Bad Day at Black Rock. Lastly, the effects of the Russian jets could I agree could've been much better, they seem dated and on the cheap side now, at least to me. All in all, could've been so much more, especially seeing how good and promising the cast are. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Spectacular film about Cold War filmed mostly in study that won two Academy Award nominations : Cinematography and special visual effects. Captain James Ferraday (this was Rock Hudson's favourite film of his own, and also of Howard Hughes ; Charlton Heston was originally offered the role but turned it down, saying there was no characterization in the script) , Commander of the nuclear submarine called USS Tigershark, is assigned to the polar ice region on a rescue mission when an emergency signal is heard from a research station, Ice Station Zebra (in real life, there was no "Ice Station Zebra", but there was an "Ice Station Alpha" which was situated in a Arctic's Ice Island). On board there is a civilian and possibly a spy named David Jones (Laurence Harvey was originally cast in Patrick McGoohan's role) , whose orders are dark . Ferraday doesn't like being kept in the secret but Jones is strongly secretive and doesn't give much away . Along the way, they collect two additional passengers, a Russian veteran named Boris Vaslov (the recently deceased Ernest Borgnine) , likely also a spy, and an African-American Marine Captain (Jim Brown) . Based on the novel (1963) by Alistair MacLean, Scottish author of Best-seller novels such as "The Guns of Navarone" . It's one of two Alistair MacLean filmed adaptations released in 1968, the other was ¨Where Eagles Dare¨. Changes made from the Alistair MacLean source novel of the same name for this film included the name of the nuclear submarine, the Dolphin, which was re-named the USS Tigerfish and the names of two characters: Submarine Commander Swanson became Commander Ferraday and spy Dr. Carpenter became David Jones . It is one of the most thrilling and exciting films set on the years of the Cold War. Great superproduction with all-star-cast , impressive scenes , shimmer photography and a vibrant sound , the time has increased its documentary value. The acting of the interesting characters is believable and convincing, especially by Patrick McGoohan and the Russian Colonel well played by Alf Kjellin . Special appearance by Lloyd Nolan and film debut for Ron Masak .The film's story has similarities with the real life events, reported in the media in April 1959, of the Discoverer II experimental Corona satellite capsule that went missing and was recovered by Soviet intelligence agents after it crashed near Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean ; Spitsbergen is in Norway's Svalbard archipelago of islands which is where both Alistair MacLean 's novel and the film of Bear Island is set. The screenplay has eloquent dialogue, continuous tension and surprising twists that keep the viewer's attention .The soundtrack by singer and French composer Michel Legrand -"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"- , is full of vibrant sound , brings a solemn score, cutting edge, played by an orchestra of wind . Colorful cinematography in glimmer color by Daniel Fapp. Unique and innovative underwater camera equipment was developed for this movie by 2nd unit cameraman and cinematographer 'John M Stephens', a former U.S.A. Navy diver, who is billed in the credits for additional arctic photography , the camera system enabled the first ever filming of a continuous submarine dive and this technical innovation produced some outstanding photography for the picture. The visual effects, despite its quality, not 'see that snow is artificial, that the landscape of the polar station is mounted on set ; his picture is the first of two movies based on an Alistair MacLean novel set in rugged icy and snowy terrain , the second would be Bear Island about eleven years later. John Sturges' filmmaking is absorbent and entertaining , a good job , It's one of two filmed Alistair MacLean adaptations directed by Sturges , the other was ¨The Satan Bug¨ made and released about three years earlier . The production shoot for ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ went for nineteen weeks, from Spring 1967 until October 1967. Rating : Very good , wholesome seeing .

Then this is your movie. The entire first half seems like nothing more than technical blabber about the workings of the sub. The real mystery is not to be revealed until after intermission. However by then the audience suffering in the dark will be totally indifferent. The final confrontation is confusing and absolutely anticlimactic. I like Patrick McGoohan, but even his presence cannot save this 150 minute clunker. To top things off, the Arctic scenes look more like the set for a high school play than the frigid outdoors. In summary, "Ice Station Zebra", despite a respectable cast, is a total waste of a considerable amount of time. - MERK

Ice Station Zebra is an adaptation of an Alistair MacLean book. Spies! Submarines! Suspense! Well, not really suspense. The very first scene shows a satellite dropping a payload into the arctic that is obviously of some importance. Then, the next two thirds of the movie involves our fearless captain tasked with taking a British agent to the scene of the drop. Could it be that the agent has something to do with this capsule? Gee, I wonder? Our brave captain doesn't know, but of course we do, since the director bizarrely lets us in on this little secret, ruining about an hour and a half of suspense. The actual bits of the movie inside the submarine are well done. The crew is professional and the technical jargon they use impressive. While some may find this boring, I found it nice to watch a believable captain command a believable ship. And then, they make their way to the ice, and it all falls apart. Plot holes big enough to drive a submarine through. MiG 21s that magically turn into F4s through lazy use of stock film, greatly confusing the viewer. Spies that do things so illogical you'll just be shaking your head in disbelief. Acting so wooden and arbitrary you'll have trouble differentiating the corpses. And of course, the fakeness. There is something so artificial in this movie that it just hurts. No, I'm not talking about the fact that the last third was obviously filmed in a sound studio with Styrofoam ice. Rather, it's Ernest Borgnine (you know, the captain from McHale's navy TV shows) trying to fake a Russian accent. Really and truly painful. Ultimately, the bad accents, wooden acting, and Styrofoam ice would be forgivable if the plot made sense. Alas, it does not. It's as if the good scriptwriter was fired or took to drink halfway through. Unfortunately, the unsatisfactory feeling that results is enough for me to confidently give you a recommendation of "don't bother."

If this film were not remarkable for anything else, it would be for the complete absence of the fair sex. Mr. McGoohan made this movie in the middle of his creative 'burn' that created 'The Prisoner'. It has been suggested he only made this "Hollywood" movie in order to obtain a fat fee that could fund his personal TV project. Whatever the motivations, this was a superb performance by McGoohan. He bent his 'John Drake' persona into a more cynical 'Secret Agent', prefiguring the 'Smileys People' generation. David Jones still retained that sense of duty and honour that 'Danger Man' had possessed but suggested the slippery slope that McGoohan would later expose in the character of 'Nelson Brenner' in 'Columbo's' "Identity Crisis". Escaping from the apostrophes, this reviewer was also impressed by the restraint of Rock Hudson. Perhaps he enjoyed the break from playing the romantic hero! Ernest Borgnine played the treacherous Russian, but at least his character was permitted to retain the dignity of being a liar-with-a-cause. All in all, an excellent movie, dense with dialogue at times, but none the worse for that. Some of the special effects look like 'Thunderbirds' nowadays but it really doesn't matter as they are only window-dressing for the characterisations of the actors.