Navy Movie
Posted by admin on Oct 17, 2009
Hi, my name is Roger and for as long as I can remember, I have loved ships and the oceans they travel. I retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 24 years. I created this website to share what I love about these movies. A Navy movie, submarine movie, and even a more general ship movie always have drama, danger, strategy, and survival in the plots. So what’s not to like.
Chances are if it takes place on or under the waves, I have seen it. Being a bit of a history buff as well, I like a Navy movie based in fact. A ship movie that tries to stay historically accurate, will always be, in my opinion, better than one that isn’t. The same holds true for any submarine movie. That’s not to say there are no good fiction movies, there are plenty. They are just lower on my list. I’ll tell you what I think of them in time.
The sea and ships have always had a special attraction for me. Even as a kid I loved to stand on the fishing pier of the Cape Cod canal and watch the ships go past. I can remember the first time I went to Plymouth Rock and saw the replica of the Mayflower, I thought, how did they ever get across the Atlantic in such a small ship.
Learning the history of the great fleets and how they were used throughout history. Watching pirate movies, and TV shows like “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” only fueled my desire to be part of the maritime community. I love the History and Discovery channels, for all the great shows they have. Shop for History $19.99 DVD Value Sets
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While serving in the U.S. Navy and experiencing some pretty heavy seas, I gained a lot of respect for the early sailors who came before me. The hardships that they endured while serving on ships were very great. That fact that many sailors spent a lifetime sailing on the wooden ships of the past, I think , speaks to the allure the sea has on a sailor. Sailors then as well as today are explorers at heart.
This website is where I share with you the best Navy movies, and sad to say, a bad Navy movie from time to time. I invite you to give me your comments. You know how movies are, some people love a great Navy movie while others may say not so great. I want to hear from you all.
Look for new posts in the categories, Navy movie, Submarine movie, Marine movie, Ship movie.
Sand Pebbles – Not a Typical Navy Movie
Posted by admin on Jan 28, 2010
Sand Pebbles is a very good movie, as the Academy Award nominations would attest to. It is also film the many say was Steve Mc Queens breakout role. It is not a typical Navy movie as I would think of one, no big battles to speak of.
This is a story of American Gunboat diplomacy in 1926 China and the struggle that involved Chiang Kai-shek, feudal warlords and Communists. Many of the reviews you can read about this Navy movie make obvious comparisons to Americas involvement in the Vietnam War during the late 1960‘s. Some of the reviews are in my opinion, very one sided statements about the authors views of Vietnam War, rather than a commentary of the film and the performance of the cast and crew.
Here is an example, “The Sand Pebbles is a thought-provoking ad for the American way of political life. In the midst of a war that is continually costing the U.S. more in both money and lives, a major U.S. studio and a major U.S. director, Robert (The Sound of Music) Wise, have invested some $12 million in an angry if indirect attack on U.S. policy in Viet Nam.” Read the entire review here www.thesandpebbles.com/time/time_mag.htm
It took Robert Wise years to get this Navy movie off the ground, I don’t think this movie was intended to make a statement about Vietnam as much as a statement about racism and prejudices and how we can overcome those. It is a two fold story, the personal story of a sailor who just wants to do his job and not have to deal people or politics. How almost every move he makes has political consequences and how those help shape his views. It is also a story that tells of American gunboat diplomacy during that time in China. I will let you decide what statement that makes.
For everything you may ever want to know about Sand Pebbles check out www.thesandpebbles.com. The are links to reviews plus much, much more. I even found a link to and old Mad Magazine parody, www.thesandpebbles.com/mad_magazine/mad_sandpebbles.htm
Sand Pebbles is a Navy movie I highly recommend watching. Just be warned, there is one negative, the length.
A Fictional Navy Movie The Caine Mutiny
Posted by admin on Nov 19, 2009
The The Caine Mutiny (Collector’s Edition) is a great Navy movie. Base on the Pulitzer Prize (for fiction) winning novel by Herman Wouk. Nominated for seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Humphrey Bogart), Best Supporting Actor (Tom Tully), Best Music, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Recording, and Best Editing. You won’t be disappointed with this film.
It’s interesting to note that the Navy wanted to make some major changes when first approached. After the novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and sold almost 3 million copies the screenplay was approved by the Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense. I have to chuckle a little, they didn’t like the TV show JAG either, that turned out to be a hit too.
After serving 24 years in the Navy, I have to wonder did the line “Mr. Maryk, you can tell the crew for me that there are four ways of doing things aboard my ship: The right way, the wrong way, the Navy way, and my way.” come before or after this Navy movie. I betting the movie brought this line into being, and a great line it is, still in use well over 50 years later.
The film makers do a wonderful job of portraying the Commanding Office “Queeg” as a cowardly, incompetent tyrant. While the speech by the defense attorney after the trial (more of a chewing out of the Caine Officers) brings up some interesting “what if” points. It leaves you wondering who was wrong and who was right. Or even is there was a wrong and right at all.
If you have never seen this Navy movie, you should. If you have seen this film, watch it again. It’s a great movie, as well as a look into human nature and what can happen when we don’t have any compassion.
The Enemy Below – A Good Navy Movie
Posted by admin on Nov 6, 2009
The Enemy Below is another favorite Navy movie of mine. It is a great cat and mouse story about a United States destroyer escort and a German U-boat set during the Battle of the Atlantic. Not just a good Navy movie but a good submarine movie as well. The strong story lines for both sides of this story make for a compelling movie.
Captain Murrell (Robert Mitchum) commands the American destroyer escort, Captain von Stolberg (Curd Jurgens) is the commander of the German submarine. Captain Murrell is a former merchant marine skipper who lost a ship to a German U-boat, now on active duty and just recently assigned to command the destroyer escort. The crew is unsure of their new Captain. Captain von Stolberg is a veteran submarine commander who is trying to make a rendezvous with another German ship in the South Atlantic. He has his private doubts about the Nazi party and the direction Hitler is taking.
Captain Murrell proves that he knows a thing or two about hunting U-boats and is a match for the wily U-boat Captain Stolberg. As the movie progresses we get insight into each mans thought process. Captain von Stolberg has lost two sons to the war. He doesn’t have much liking for the Nazi politics, but does his job well because he is a soldier for his country. Captain Murrell lost his wife when the merchant ship he commanded was sunk by a U-boat.
The end of this Navy movie takes a little twist when it turns into a cooperative rescue. Captain von Stolberg wont leave his sinking U-boat because his friend is dying and unable to save himself. Murrell helps von Stolberg get his friend over to the also doomed destroyer. At which time the surviving Americans and Germans sharing life boats go back and rescue the three men.
My review summary:
RogerG
“A very good film with a strong story, great acting, and good action. Well worth adding to any Navy movie or Submarine movie collection.”
Battle of Midway
Posted by admin on Oct 31, 2009
Marking a turning point for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, the Navy movie Midway (Collector’s Edition)
In the beginning of the movie we see the Japanese creating a complicated battle plan to take Midway. They plan for a diversionary attack that they feel will the Americans will have to respond to. Opening the way for the main attack on Midway. Unknown to the Japanese, American intelligence breaks the Japanese code and know the main target is Midway. Admiral Nimitz is not totally convinced about the intelligence but makes the tough decision to send his remaining carriers to Midway in hopes of catching the Japanese off guard.
The film depicts the American victory as brought about by a combination of things, luck being a big part of it. There are a number of things that go wrong with the Americans plan early on that end up being good (lucky) things. The film also depicts the Japanese as unable to correctly adjust their battle plan, shown as frustrated and second guessing their decisions.
The end of the movie when the brass muses about “It just doesn’t make any sense” solidifies in my mind, this feeling that we got lucky. I’m sure it took audacity, skill, teamwork and luck.
With an all star cast, this film is one Navy movie that will remain one of my all time favorites.
The Perfect Storm a Perfect Ship Movie?
Posted by admin on Oct 31, 2009
In my opinion, this telling of actual events is an important story. For as long as men have gone to sea to feed their families and earn their livings harvesting it, some never return. A ship movie such as this reminds us that real people do dangerous things. Sometime because they love it, sometimes because it’s all they know, and sometimes because they have no choice.
Late October and November are months with rapidly changing weather patterns across the eastern U.S. Larger cold air masses begin to move down from Canada on a regular basis. Moving from the Midwest to the east coast. The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t end until the end on November. Tropical weather systems including hurricanes do form into late November. The contrast between these two very dissimilar air masses often results in massive storms just offshore of North America. These “Nor’easters” can be pretty nasty storms and have sunk many ocean vessels. The storm that formed in October 1991 became known as the Halloween Storm and was labeled “The Perfect Storm” by the National Weather Service.
“The Perfect Storm,” a book by
My review summary:
The Perfect Storm
RogerG
“This is a great ship movie that belongs in any video library. It is a tribute to all the fishermen who never returned home. This movie also pays tribute to the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard who risk their lives to save others.”
They Were Expendable
Posted by admin on Oct 22, 2009
I have to say OH YA to this film. They Were Expendable
I think this film does an excellent job of conveying a message, that changing long established mindsets is hard to do. That during a time of war, it takes determination and sacrifice.
This film is about a PT boat squadron in the South Pacific during World War II. More specifically, about the beginning of the PT boat squadrons. Many of the high ranking officers in the theater of operations didn’t think much of the the PT boats. You must remember, during the first stages of World War II the Navy Brass still held onto the belief that you had to have big old Battle Wagons to conduct Naval Warfare properly. They still didn’t think the Aircraft Carrier was a good idea – what chance did a small boat made of wood have against the Japanese warships.
The young Navy Lieutenant and his Executive Office believe in the PT boats and are determined to prove their worth. This is not made easy for them as they are relegated to ferrying messages. They have some small successes early on and things are looking better. That is until they have to move to a new base, then it’s back to running messages. Of course as the war heats up and the Japanese move in, they do sink some ships and prove the value of the PT Boat. It is too little too late as the Japanese do defeat the United State in the South Pacific during this time.
This Navy movie is considered by many to be Director’s John Ford’s best. I would have to agree that this feature film is one of the best war movies I have seen. It is a tribute to all who have and still do serve and willingly go in harm’s way.
