Without having already seen the movie or having read what it's about, an astute viewer can easily guess which characters will remain trapped in the submarine when this British naval flick ends. Mostly because the storytellers focus on only a few of the men at the beginning, showing them interact with their wives and other assorted loved ones.
The early domestic scenes depict how relatively happy they are, balancing home life with a career at sea. They will "survive" longest on screen, because when the bulk of the story takes place on the sub, they are the characters who get most of the dialogue and screen time.
I think it would have been better if one of the top name stars left the story halfway through the picture, as one of the men who escaped death. To ensure adequate screen time, he could have gone up during the initial rescue efforts, then remained on board the other ship when efforts had to be abandoned later due to the weather. Then, we would have seen what it was like for one man to face grave danger, escape, but then deal with losing his coworkers at the end.
The way it is told, we only get reaction shots from the rescue crew. They are such negligible characters with no real emotional connection to the ones who'll die, that the film loses some of its power in the last part.
We do get a sense of who the men are that remain inside the sub; we get an overall idea of who they are as men; and we come to know their limitations as well as their bravery. But the storyline is a bit too predictable, despite the stellar acting; and the grimness of the closing shot is almost heavy-handed. To balance out the morbid ending, there should have been one whose story we followed all the way through, that made it to the other side as a survivor.
The actor who steers the drama is John Mills, who turns in one of his best performances. He is cast as the lieutenant commander who must make difficult decisions, and nobody envies what he has to do. After their sub is damaged by an exploding magnetic mine they've run across, Mills must take decisive action to protect the crew who weren't immediately killed and are now hunkered down in airtight quarters.
While waiting for help, one important decision is which men should leave the sub first. Mills doesn't give orders or take any volunteers. Instead he asks the men to draw cards, aces high, to determine who goes and who stays. During these scenes, there is fine acting by Mr. Mills' costar Richard Attenborough who portrays a stoker with mental issues. Attenborough draws a low card and is not allowed to leave, which triggers an outburst from him. He is quickly subdued, though he is now considered a threat to everyone.
As the story continues, Attenborough redeems himself by helping a first lieutenant (Nigel Patrick) who is suffering from recurring malaria and has trouble breathing in the confined quarters. Patrick's illness brings out the nurse maid in Attenborough which gives Attenborough a renewed sense of purpose. The writing doesn't exactly head into homoerotic territory, but Attenborough spends a lot of time touching and tending Patrick, revealing a strong bond between the two men.
During the scenes that follow, they all demonstrate patience while the rescue crew works to save them. Attenborough and Patrick bond not only with each other, but also with Mills, as well as the other man still down there-- a low-class seaman (James Hayter) who provides some needed comic relief. During moments when they eat, drink and deal cards, the four men learn more about each others' respective backgrounds. When Patrick dies, they try to put what's happened into perspective.
The film's screenplay is based on a hit play that was filmed by the BBC for television in the late 1940s, when television was still a new entertainment medium. MORNING DEPARTURE was a hit on stage, a hit on TV, and an even bigger hit in movie theaters. Director Roy Ward Baker had previously collaborated with John Mills on the classic noir THE OCTOBER MAN in 1947; Baker would direct Mills a few more times in the 1960s, as well as for a TV movie in the 1980s. But despite this being for all intents and purposes a John Mills film, a lot of the best bits belong to Richard Attenborough who is allowed to develop his character more than Mills and the others.
The final scene is a somber one. The three "survivors" realize it is Sunday morning. Mills reads aloud from a prayer book. Sitting together in the confined, claustrophobic space they inhabit together, they realize that rescue efforts have completely stopped due to bad weather. They are now living the last moments of their lives. There is nothing really hopeful as the camera pulls back and the image blurs into a memory. But we are expected to admire their courage and stoic attitude.
The early domestic scenes depict how relatively happy they are, balancing home life with a career at sea. They will "survive" longest on screen, because when the bulk of the story takes place on the sub, they are the characters who get most of the dialogue and screen time.
I think it would have been better if one of the top name stars left the story halfway through the picture, as one of the men who escaped death. To ensure adequate screen time, he could have gone up during the initial rescue efforts, then remained on board the other ship when efforts had to be abandoned later due to the weather. Then, we would have seen what it was like for one man to face grave danger, escape, but then deal with losing his coworkers at the end.
The way it is told, we only get reaction shots from the rescue crew. They are such negligible characters with no real emotional connection to the ones who'll die, that the film loses some of its power in the last part.
We do get a sense of who the men are that remain inside the sub; we get an overall idea of who they are as men; and we come to know their limitations as well as their bravery. But the storyline is a bit too predictable, despite the stellar acting; and the grimness of the closing shot is almost heavy-handed. To balance out the morbid ending, there should have been one whose story we followed all the way through, that made it to the other side as a survivor.
The actor who steers the drama is John Mills, who turns in one of his best performances. He is cast as the lieutenant commander who must make difficult decisions, and nobody envies what he has to do. After their sub is damaged by an exploding magnetic mine they've run across, Mills must take decisive action to protect the crew who weren't immediately killed and are now hunkered down in airtight quarters.
While waiting for help, one important decision is which men should leave the sub first. Mills doesn't give orders or take any volunteers. Instead he asks the men to draw cards, aces high, to determine who goes and who stays. During these scenes, there is fine acting by Mr. Mills' costar Richard Attenborough who portrays a stoker with mental issues. Attenborough draws a low card and is not allowed to leave, which triggers an outburst from him. He is quickly subdued, though he is now considered a threat to everyone.
As the story continues, Attenborough redeems himself by helping a first lieutenant (Nigel Patrick) who is suffering from recurring malaria and has trouble breathing in the confined quarters. Patrick's illness brings out the nurse maid in Attenborough which gives Attenborough a renewed sense of purpose. The writing doesn't exactly head into homoerotic territory, but Attenborough spends a lot of time touching and tending Patrick, revealing a strong bond between the two men.
During the scenes that follow, they all demonstrate patience while the rescue crew works to save them. Attenborough and Patrick bond not only with each other, but also with Mills, as well as the other man still down there-- a low-class seaman (James Hayter) who provides some needed comic relief. During moments when they eat, drink and deal cards, the four men learn more about each others' respective backgrounds. When Patrick dies, they try to put what's happened into perspective.
The film's screenplay is based on a hit play that was filmed by the BBC for television in the late 1940s, when television was still a new entertainment medium. MORNING DEPARTURE was a hit on stage, a hit on TV, and an even bigger hit in movie theaters. Director Roy Ward Baker had previously collaborated with John Mills on the classic noir THE OCTOBER MAN in 1947; Baker would direct Mills a few more times in the 1960s, as well as for a TV movie in the 1980s. But despite this being for all intents and purposes a John Mills film, a lot of the best bits belong to Richard Attenborough who is allowed to develop his character more than Mills and the others.
The final scene is a somber one. The three "survivors" realize it is Sunday morning. Mills reads aloud from a prayer book. Sitting together in the confined, claustrophobic space they inhabit together, they realize that rescue efforts have completely stopped due to bad weather. They are now living the last moments of their lives. There is nothing really hopeful as the camera pulls back and the image blurs into a memory. But we are expected to admire their courage and stoic attitude.