Sink the Bismarck!

A naval film set in the Second World War. The most powerful ship of the German navy puts to sea. The Bismarck is new, fast and large; if she reaches the convoys in the Atlantic, Britain's supply line is cut. In an underground room in London there is a plotting table. A newly appointed staff officer takes up his post there; his work is directing ships and planning the hunt from that room. From there the film moves between two places. At sea, searching, contact, battle and losses; on land, decisions taken at a table. That is its idea. There are battle scenes, but the real tension is on the map: where the mark is, how much fuel remains, which squadron can reach it and when. The staff officer appears cold and unfeeling. The narrative opens the reason slowly; he suffered a loss in this war and has to keep his decisions clear of it. The side line is a woman officer working beside him, the one human measure in the room. The film follows the real event closely. The loss of the Hood, the aircraft attack and the damage to the steering are told in order; the sea scenes were shot with models and were considered good for their time. Kenneth More plays the officer and Dana Wynter the woman officer. Lewis Gilbert directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes classic war films and stories of military planning. Who it is not for: anyone looking for depth of character; the narrative is on the event and the people stay in the background.