Schnellboote vor Bataan (1945)

Schnellboote vor Bataan: Directed by John Ford, Robert Montgomery. With Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Jack Holt. A Navy commander fights to prove the battle-worthiness of the PT boat at the start of World War II.

“Rather than re-hash Tom Martinu0026#39;s excellent review of the film, I would rather provide some personal reflections.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis really is the most human of all the late-era WWII films, minus much of the blatantly propagandistic speeches that mar so many movies from that era. Rather, the dialogue is beautifully understated. Robert Montgomeryu0026#39;s u0026quot;looking for the Arizona toou0026quot; comment to Wayne sums up the feelings of its time much more than a five minute speech on how important it is to win the war could ever do.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe cinematography is top notch, as it is in most of Fordu0026#39;s films. Watching this I believe we can definately see how Orson Welles would be influenced by his work over the years.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRobert Montgomeryu0026#39;s work here is fantastic; again, as Martin states in his review, probably his best work in front of the camera. He seems war-weary (and in one of the Dukeu0026#39;s biographies this is probably how Montgomery really was at this time, as he had seen quite a bit of action during the war before the film was made). John Wayneu0026#39;s character provides us with proof that he truly was a great actor. Watch the scene where he sits in a bar listening to a broadcast from San Francisco about the fall of Coregidor; his emotions are completely shown by the camera; no u0026quot;letu0026#39;s get them dirty so-and-sou0026#39;su0026quot; speeches here, this is pure, wordless acting.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, a great film; the best of the WWII era, and certainly one of the best of the 1940u0026#39;s. No hesitations here on my score: 10* out of 10.”