The Sea Wolves

source: The Sea Wolves

A ponderous, but stately homage to the British Empire and the actual superlative function of British Intelligence. It is beautifully photographed, and in no hurry, which is somewhat refreshing in the light of modern, hyperactive drama. The film features solid acting by some great names supported by a prime polo stable of British character actors. The film makes a conscious effort to keep close to the historical record, which would be the reason for some of its more unlikely episodes. Only the writers of fiction need restrict themselves to the probable. David Niven is worthy of himself, as is Gregory Peck, with an underplayed British accent. Roger Moore has a great deal of fun being a spy who is NOT James Bond, and is clearly enjoying the role. His feminine antagonist is portrayed as lethal and skilled, and Trevor Howard does himself credit in advanced old age. The film's accurate sets and equipment are the results of many of the actual parties involved assisting in the film, which was made two years after the actual records of the Raid on Goa were finally made public by the British government.

I would concur with the previous reviewers comments, though perhaps a little less enthusiastically. The Sea Wolves is entertaining, owing largely to a cast of good British actors. I saw this film on the History Channel, and as World War II buff, my interest in the film is largely around its wartime premise. I don't mind that the film makers have exercised minor artistic license with some of the story. It's often essential for good film storytelling. In this case, the true story, which was declassified by the British government in 1978, two years before the making of the film, is such a good story that little embellishment is needed to make a good film. I suspect that in this film the romantic exploits of Roger Moore are fiction, but no matter. My favorite films of the war genre, "Force 10 from Navarone" and "The Dirty Dozen" are historical fiction. The Sea Wolves has a similar element of misfit commandos, which is really tautology. Both Force 10 from Navarone and The Dirty Dozen are wildly humorous. Having served in two wars, I recall much of what happened as humorous to the point of farce, equally mixed with the parts that were serious, including a few terrifying experiences. A few brief moments of terror can go a long way, when experienced in real life, but not nearly as far when watched on the screen. Therefore, film makers typically alter the mixture, adding more action to keep us riveted. Like the historical epics films, based on the books of Connelious Ryan ("The Longest Day" and "A Bridge Too Far"), The Sea Wolves seems to strive to be faithful to the actual events, and in doing so, ends up being a little slow in the start. My harshest criticisms of the Sea Wolves are that its cinematography is rather uninspired, and its costumes are a disappointing to the historical enthusiast. Some of the uniforms and civilian clothes appeared to be reproductions in synthetic fabrics not used at the time. Also, as is typical of studio productions, some of the hairstyles were more influenced by contemporary styles than faithful renditions of the styles of the period. The film was shot entirely on location in India, where the authenticity of the sets and extras offer some consolation for the film's other failings. In summary, The Sea Wolves, while having the makings of two kinds of great war movies-- the entertaining all-star blockbuster and the ultra-accurate historical epic-- but fails to fully deliver either. Still, a good story and competent acting make it work a look. In doing a little research on the Web, I was able to locate a book, entitled "Boarding Party: The Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse." The reviews of the book on Amazon are very promising for both entertainment and history. The film has got me interested, so I'll be sure to read it.

It is hard to believe that a film like The Sea Wolves ever got made in the 1980s. It is such an extraordinarily old-fashioned film that one would expect it to have surfaced in the 40s or, at latest, the 50s. The only giveaway is the fact that the costumes and hairstyles are slightly too "modern" for a film purporting to be set in 1943. Still, if you can forgive the film its datedness there are points to enjoy, including good performances, gorgeous locations and a genuinely exciting climactic sequence. In 1943, a number of Allied ships are sunk in the Indian Ocean. It seems the Germans are transmitting secret information about the whereabouts of Allied ships from one of their destroyers anchored in the neutral port of Goa. The Germans deny that their warship has anything to do with the business, and the British know that they cannot just sail into a neutral port and start blowing up suspected spy vessels - a more clandestine approach is needed. Enter Special Operatives Col. Lewis Pugh (Gregory Peck) and Capt. Gavin Stewart (Roger Moore), a pair of resourceful and adventurous soldiers who decide to destroy the German warship by a rather unconventional method. Pugh approaches the Calcutta Light Horse Brigade, a ragtag collection of elderly ex-British servicemen who had their moments of glory during the Boer War and the First World War. The brigade is commandeered by Col. Bill Grice (David Niven), who accepts the mission even without knowing the full details of the target or the objective. Stewart is assigned to create a diversion in the port of Goa, which he does by arranging a spectacular street carnival with fireworks and parties. Meanwhile, Pugh and Grice and their team of geriatric adventurers sail stealthily into the harbour and set into motion their audacious plot to destroy the German warship. The Sea Wolves is carried a long way by its performers. Peck is fine as the mastermind behind the plan (the only flaw with his performance is his English accent, though I've certainly heard worse); Moore seems to be enjoying this break from the Bond role with which he was synonymous at that time; Niven is his usual dignified presence and shares a good chemistry with his old Guns Of Navarone buddy Peck; and the rest of the cast consists of lovable Brit character actors like Patrick MacNee, Trevor Howard, Jack Watson and Donald Houston. The film is fairly slowly paced, which allows nice characterisations to be fashioned by these actors but occasionally results in periodic lulls in the story. The subplot featuring a lady spy (Barbara Kellerman) who almost thwarts the British plot is rather distracting, and the music by Roy Budd is disappointing too (Budd simply rehashes his Wild Geese score, but it doesn't suit this film quite so well and the title song warbled by Matt Munro is even less appropriate for this film). After a rather lengthy and exhausting build-up, the film's climactic sequence thankfully delivers the goods, as our aging heroes silently board the German ship and carry out their dangerous mission. Especially exciting is the scene in which the brigade have just planted mines on the hull of the German ship, but as they attempt to sail off to a safe distance the engine on their battered old riverboat gives up, leaving them to carry out emergency repairs before they sink themselves as well as the enemy! The Sea Wolves is passable stuff for a rainy afternoon, nothing special but amiable enough in its old-style way.

Weak and pointless adventure which tells the real story of a group of old British soldiers in a sabotage mission during WW2 in South Pacific. Extremely predictable and boring; only the good cast is an outstanding point in this one even when Gregory Peck tries so hard to talk with a English accent. I give this a 4 (four).

The story in "The Sea Wolves" is based on a real and rather strange episode in World War II history. Not wanting to provoke an international incident with neutral Portugal, the British decide to attack a German ship docked in Goa (an Indian city controlled at the time by the Portuguese) using civilians....elderly non-coms at that! They need to destroy or capture the boat because the ship is being used against Allied shipping. And, the film starred a lot of older stars--the likes of Gregory Peck, David Niven, Roger Moore and Trevor Howard! This really sounds like an interesting story, right? Well, oddly, it wasn't. In fact, after a while I was just looking forward to the film ending. Why? Well, I think the problem is mostly because none of the characters were very interesting. They had a nice idea but the writer simply didn't instill enough in the characters to make them the least bit endearing or realistic. Sad. As a result, it's a film that you could watch if you have nothing better to do or you could just skip it. My vote? Flip a coin.

Take one of the most unusual stories of WWII. Get a cast of brilliant actors. Make all the sets dead on. GET ALL THE DETAILS OF THE STORY RIGHT Mix it all together and the result is, Sadly disappointing, When I read the book 'Boarding Party:the Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse, I said to myself "what a great movie this would make" Then I saw the cast, monster stars all. I watched with great anticipation. What a serious letdown, what had been a brilliant book about a brilliant exploit by retired old gentlemen giving one last hurrah for king and country fell surprisingly and totally flat. the story that cried for hamming it up for totally lacked the energy and joie de verve it needd. Whether it was the script or the dierection, something sucked the life out of the story. all I can recommend is to read the book ''Boarding Party:the Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse. A truly unique story of WWII.

Or maybe I should say "Saving Pvt. Steptoe," it being a British-focused film. Generic, geriatric exercise in "Boys' Own" heroism, based on a real-life story, though dressed up with goofy sitcom dialogue and a slumming cast of over-the-hill stars. The film is an amiable-enough timekiller, but hopelessly disjointed in tone, even more so than the better-known comic war film "Kelly's Heroes" because it doesn't make nearly the same case for itself in terms of pure entertainment. You have two stories, neither very strong. In one, a bunch of old-timers try to do their bit for the Allied cause in the backwater of India. The other is a kind of retro-James Bond yarn featuring 007 Mark II himself, Roger Moore, bedhopping and punning like a madman. I like Moore a lot, and in other efforts of the same period with director Andrew V. McLagen, like "The Wild Geese" and the underappreciated "ffolkes," Moore made a case for himself as someone who could deliver the goods in guises other than that of Britain's greatest secret agent. This time, he's strictly a by-the-numbers bully-with-a-cause half the time, then consigned to the background (arranging a fireworks diversion, of all things, while the central story is resolved by the rest of the cast). You wonder why Moore bothered, except perhaps for a nice jaunt in India on someone else's dime. Shoulda waited for "Octopussy." Even a bad Bond is better than this. This story actually happened, as we are told, but one wonders why the producers thought it so worthy of cinematic treatment. The raid on the German merchantmen in the neutral Portugese colony of Goa is pretty routine on-screen, with nearly everyone getting shot in the arm but no serious suspense. The Germans seem too easily cowed. David Niven looks in danger of imminent angina attack in one of his last roles, while Gregory Peck struggles unsuccessfully with an English accent (apparently having learned nothing from his similar botched job in the Hitchcock fiasco "The Paradine Case.") The jokes fly fast, but they creak as much as the all-fogy commando squad. There's about three upchuck routines alone as the raiders sail to Goa on a rusty old tub called `Phoebe.' Some feeble efforts at characterization go nowhere, like Patrick Macnee's Yogi character, who natters on about his Eastern philosophy a little but otherwise just sets explosives and is easily ignored. Everyone is ignorable, though, even Peck. I did appreciate Allan Cuthbertson as the game, stodgy Melbourne (a recognizable "Guns of Navarone" alumnus, with Niven and Peck), and the scene where the crew of the Phoebe mistakes a shark fin for a U-Boat periscope (followed nicely by a scene where the real U-Boat gets the Phoebe in its sights, only to have its captain decide the scow's not worth a torpedo anyway.) The scenery is nice, including Barbara Kellerman, who's unfortunately not as interesting in the villainness department (though I blame the script more than her.) And that's it. A film I wanted to like, but wasn't able to. And who had the grand idea of dedicating it to the late Lord Mountbatten? It's a film about blowing up a boat. How did they figure it would be fitting to dedicate it to the memory of a man murdered by that very same sort of sabotage just one year before? As Niven might have said, how awfully tacky!

Andrew McLaglen couldn't direct a fat man to a buffet. An admiral says, in an apathetic drawl, "Well, I suppose it's top priority," but he's mistaken. This is the sort of movie in which as many characters as possible have a nice sit-down before discussing the action sequences. In this movie they sit down during the action sequences. Tellingly, there's a running gag: the ship's mechanic handles tools as if he's never seen an engine, then announces that he's going to change out a bearing, by himself, at sea. Almost as much adrift as Andrew V. McLaglen. McLaglen tirelessly overlooks any inherent value in a script, actor, or location, and faithfully underexploits every available resource. In the end, he never fails to create dull, dull, dull moments that matter as little as possible to everyone involved. After spending enough time on TV Westerns to forget what a real set is supposed to look like, and enough time in America to forget how the English actually behave, he also manages to make the geriatric cast look even older and more confused than himself. Through neglect he allows the story to develop Roadshow Distemper, a fatal swelling of the head resulting in the shooting of a scene for what could have been expressed in a shot, without an attendant gain in character or interest. McLaglen also shows here for the fiftieth time that any star could commandeer his scenes - Wayne, Stewart, Douglas all gave self-indulgent or inadequate performances under, or walking all over, McLaglen. Here Gregory Peck wanders in and out of character, accent, frame; no urgency, no focus, no stakes. No care. An adequate ensemble, all of whom have done at least decent work before, to a man look lost and bewildered. David Niven, direct to this set from working with David Merrick, must have felt that he was damned. Throughout he appears on the verge of tears, or laughter. I like seeing model ships blow up, so it gets a 2. I would have given a 3 for the appearance of Godzilla.

Pretty much a period piece when it came out -- not the content, but the style of movie-making itself -- 'The Sea Wolves' is another of those examples of cinematic abuse that make the viewing of the results so disappointing an experience. A re-tread of just about any and every Brave Brits / Nasty Nazis war movie churned out by UK studios large and small in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, the surprise here is that production occurred in 1979 / 1980 rather than 30 years earlier. What's no surprise, however, is the degree of self-indulgence that infuses efforts like this, i.e., take a true-life story, promote your wares on the back of it. . . but change almost everything in it to fit box office conventions of the day. Appealingly lethargic at its outset, where the script certainly does map something of the genesis of the Ehrenfals raid, things then rapidly fall apart with the introduction of Roger Moore in a dinner jacket chatting up a villainess in a casino. Obviously nothing of the kind ever happened, and had this been but a minor diversion it may be easily overlooked. However, as the Spy Who Loved Me bit accounts for at least a third of the over-long film, it can't be ignored. If this inept fiction -- and inept it most certainly is -- doesn't do for Seawolves, then the finale certainly does: writer and director presumably got together and said ah, well, better have a shoot-out here, as if it's the OK Corral they're chronicling rather than a mission to disable a German ship. Thus it is that several scenes which never occurred in reality unfold with hilarious unreality: never have so many True Brits been shot in the arm, or missed at point blank range, than here, nor have so many really Bad, Bad Germans been mown down only to sneakily turn over after dropping dead and shooting back. It's rubbish, and annoying rubbish at that. But where Seawolves truly irks is its sustained deceit to be drama-doc rather than popular fiction. The facts are that the boarding party was detected as soon as it set foot on the vessel and the crew, thinking it was a regular Brit military operation, immediately set off charges pre-installed in the hold and engine room so as to scuttle the Ehrenfals and prevent her from falling into Allied hands. The ship was in no more than 80 foot of water so sank quickly and obligingly to the bottom, almost dragging the Phoebe with her. There was no gun battle, no hand to hand fighting, and despite SOE's ludicrous claim to have subsequently fooled the Germans into sinking the other two vessels by sending some kind of phony wireless message, the truth is that once the Ehrenfals had gone down, the crews of the other two vessels likewise scuttled theirs. Ends. Of course, the ordinary, middle-aged (and older) folks who actually participated in the raid weren't to know that. This motley bunch of solicitors, managers, accountants, jute growers, export clerks and retirees left their homes, their jobs, and their families to freely embark on a venture that could have claimed the lives of every one of them. That took guts. Real, genuine, shining courage. Seawolves, of course, has no grasp of this kind of truth, so makes no salute to it. Instead, there's one cliché after another, strung together on the pretext that, somehow, This Is How It Was. When it wasn't. Worthy of 1 out of 10 on release (for its location photography) it's today worth 4 out of 10 for the screen presence of Trevor Howard, David Niven and Gregory Peck. Sadly, we'll not see their like again. Rather more happily though, we're unlikely to see anything as embarrassingly bad as Seawolves again, either.