|
|
|
Search Movie Review
Archives
|
|
|
| |
| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
|
|
“The
Enemy Below”
|
 |
Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
War drama
|
| Video: |
2.35:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen and 1.33:1 Full Screen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
Surround 2.0 |
| Languages |
English,
Spanish, French |
| Subtitles |
English,
Spanish |
| Length |
NA |
| Rating |
NR |
| Release Date |
6/8/04 |
| Studio |
20th Century
Fox Home Video |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
None |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Previews |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
Both widescreen
and full screen versions of the film |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Robert Mitchum,
Curt Jurgens, David (“Al”) Hedison, Theodore Bikel, Kurt Kreuger,
Frank Albertson |
| Written
By: |
Wendell Mayes
based on the novel by Commander D. A. Rayner |
| Produced
By: |
Dick Powell |
| Directed
By: |
Dick Powell
|
| Music:
|
Leigh Harline |
| The
Review: |
A German U-boat and American destroyer
stalk each other in the South Atlantic at the height of World
War II. Each commander (Mitchum and Jurgens) must try and
outfox the other in this variation on “Run Silent, Run Deep”.
This time, though, the Germans are below the sea and the American
destroyer hunts for the U-boat as it glides beneath the waves.
As the two commanders plan move and counter move, tensions
grow high among the crew. ---
A well directed beautifully shot
minor war classic, “The Enemy Below” captures the feeling
of being at each by actually shooting on a mock up of a destroyer.
There’s very few process shots in the sequences shot on the
water and this lends a level of authenticity to the film that
few films from this time have. Director Dick Powell does a
great job of capturing the atmosphere aboard ship. “The Enemy
Below” won an Academy Award for best visual effects in 1957
and, although the effects are impressive for the time, the
film that should have been nominated and won was Ray Harryhausen’s
“20 Million Miles to Earth” with its outstanding stop motion
animation. ---
|
| Image
and Sound: |
Ah the days
of rich, Technicolor movies. The film looks terrific although
it’s clear that the negative has faded a bit over time. Still,
the colors look vibrant and have that candy color look of most
of the Technicolor films of the time. The faithful reproduction
of the original mono sound doesn’t have any noticeable distortion.
--- |
| The
Extras: |
None
|
| Commentary:
|
No commentary
track although David (called Al early in his career) Hedison
could have provided one. |
| Final
Words: |
A well directed,
suspenseful thriller at sea, “The Enemy Below” comes from a
lost era when war was much more black and white. There’s few
if any analog or digital blemishes and the rich color comes
across very well in this transfer. |
|
|
