For multiple obvious reasons, there aren't many submarine movies, which puts a lot of pressure (heh) on the few of them to excel. I'm sure this one was expensive for the time, even if the exterior shots used mere models. The filmmakers did aim for authenticity by having real submariners train the actors. They did not aim for fidelity to the Edward L. Beach book, from what I can tell.
Apart from that, the main aspect that I appreciate is the casting. Sure, Burt Lancaster and especially Clark Gable were a bit old for captains, but as I heard Gable repeatedly call, "Dive, dive!", I realized what a natural he seemed for a combination of Commander Queeg from The Caine Mutiny and Captain Ahab from, oh, you know. And Lancaster knew how to project a disciplined officer who strongly disapproved a superior (somewhat reversed in Seven Days in May). The film is also notable for the silver-screen debut of Don Rickles, who does better at non-comic roles than I thought.
The plot: Gable's Commander "Rich" Richardson loses a sub to what would become a notoriously effective destroyer, the Akikaze. He pulls strings to command another sub a year later, pushing ahead of Lancaster's Lieutenant Bledsoe, who's very popular with the crew. It becomes increasingly clear that despite orders to avoid the area, Rich intends to have them take on the Akikaze, which everyone else thinks is a no-win proposal. His arguments with Bledsoe tend to end in pulling rank.
Not surprisingly, Bledsoe does take over eventually. (Gable, who had trouble getting along with Lancaster, wouldn't go along with the program until they rewrote the circumstances. It would indeed take a lot to overcome Rich on this matter.)
Everything was set up for a predictable lesson. Then the filmmakers broke the rules in the third act. I'm not sure whether that was a good idea on their part. SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!
After losing a few men in a first encounter, Bledsoe develops the same drive as Rich. They win the final battle, tho Rich doesn't live to see it. Bledsoe speaks highly of him at the sailor's funeral.
What are we to make of that? That the obnoxious, dishonest, irresponsible, dogmatic, order-ignoring maniac was right and honorable all along? Maybe we should take it only as Bledsoe's passion-fueled opinion, but when a movie ends this way, it sure looks like a moral. My inclination is to dock points.
I like Das Boot better, but RSRD isn't as long, claustrophobic, or tragic. It still manages a fair level of intensity. It has a marginally greater presence of women, including the voice of Tokyo Rose. In other words, you don't have to brace yourself quite so much for it, and you might sooner want to watch it.
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