Rent Morning Departure (1950)
3.5 of 5 from 56 ratings
1h 37min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
While hunting German shipping, the Royal Navy submarine Trojan accidentally strikes an electronically-operated mine - and the race begins to save the lives of the crew of the stricken vessel. Rocked by a tremendous explosion, the Trojan plunges to the sea bed. As time - and air - starts to run out, the Captain gathers together the survivors. A lucky few can escape immediately through emergency hatches - but the others will have to remain trapped in the dying submarine and hope that rescuers will arrive before it is too late. Those left behind must battle with terrifying fear and claustrophobia in the stricken, disintegrating hulk far beneath the sea while rescuers begin a last-ditch attempt to raise the submarine to the surface. The rescue is difficult and fraught with danger at the best of times - but a storm of unprecedented ferocity is brewing which threatens to end all hope of rescue. - Actors:
- John Mills, Nigel Patrick, Peter Hammond, Andrew Crawford, Michael Brennan, George Cole, Victor Maddern, Roddy McMillan, Frank Coburn, Jack Stewart, James Hayter, Wylie Watson, Richard Attenborough, George Thorpe, Bernard Lee
- Directors:
- Roy Ward Baker
- Producers:
- Jay Lewis
- Writers:
- W.E. Fairchild, Kenneth Woollard
- Studio:
- DD Home Entertainment
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: John Mills, Getting to Know: Kenneth More, inema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 2, People of the Pictures, Remembering Leslie Phillips, Richard Attenborough: A Centenary Special Instant Expert's Guide
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Reviews (2) of Morning Departure
A minimum-effort production. - Morning Departure review by DC
I have no complaints about the quality of the story and acting, but the film-to-video transfer looks like I did it. It's all a bit murky, and things tend to merge together in the many scenes of men in dark uniforms against dark backgrounds.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Naval drama. - Morning Departure review by Steve
Exciting submarine drama based on a true story. HMS Trojan is damaged by a mine which has been floating in British coastal waters since WWII. Many die in the explosion, but a few survivors are able to escape with the limited safety equipment. Which leaves four men waiting for the laborious rescue manoeuvres...
That's John Mills as the calm but flawed captain. Nigel Patrick plays his informal, rakish sidekick. James Hayter is an idiotic grunt. And Richard Attenborough is the hyper-panicky claustrophobic. The outcome is surprisingly bleak, but interestingly each character is given a reason for why they might not want to be saved.
Even among the last four living men on board, the dynamics are rigidly enforced by class. There is a great deal of awkward talk as the men drift very slowly into oblivion. After the rules are relaxed sufficiently for the lower ranks to be invited into the stateroom, Mills can barely tolerate Hayter's rambling stupidity.
The film explores the craft of decision making. The style is documentary realism, with no score. There's a small amount of underwater photography, but the action is mostly shot in a single interior of the submarine, betraying its stage origins. While understated with an abundance of talk, the gathering suspense is overwhelming.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.