Monday, February 18, 2019

Movie review - "Hell and High Water" (1954) **

Dull submarine film which one guesses was only made because submarines would look cool in CinemaScope. The set up is dumb - a scientist who has disappeared hires Richard Widmark to captain a sub (a whole sub!) to follow another sub around to prove that the Chinese Commies have an atomic bomb.

I struggled with the concept of a mercenary sub especially as it was kind of pointless story wise - why not just have it as a US navy mission? So Widmark can be cynical and discover patriotism?

Why hold off the reveal that Bella Darvi is the scientist's daughter? There's no shock, no surprise - you assume she was anyway.

Directed  by Sam Fuller who didn't like the result and he was right. Bella Darvi is the girl.

The one good sequence is when it's all red on the sub and there's no noise except for some siren and Widmark and Darvi make out.

Victor Francen's scientist was lacking in mystery and interest. Darvi was good looking but that's about it.

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