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Amazon.co.uk Review
Something of a swan song for the legendary Michael Powell-Emeric Pressburger partnership, 1956's The Battle of the River Plate is their penultimate film together (the following year's Ill Met By Moonlight was the last). Shot in a semi-documentary style that stands apart from the "magical realism" of much of their previous work--Canterbury Tales, A Matter of Life and Death, The Red Shoes--the film tells the story of the pursuit of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee by three British cruisers off the River Plate in Uruguay during November 1939.
Incorporating actual wartime footage adds to the authentic air, albeit one that sits uneasily with the obviously studio-bound look of the rest. Among the solid cast Peter Finch stands out as the beleaguered Captain Langsdorff of the Graf Spee, while John Gregson is his counterpart, the stalwart British hero type. Things get a bit odd when Christopher Lee pops up in the unlikely role of a Latin-American nightclub boss. It's an atypical Powell and Pressburger picture and not exactly their best, but still a fine World War II picture that documents an important incident in the opening salvos of the war. --Mark Walker
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, SYNOPSIS: Widely regarded as one of the best and most intelligent British war dramas of the 1950s, The Battle of River Plate is the story of Britain's first significant naval victory in WW2. John Gregson heads the cast as Captain Bell, skipper of the Exeter, one of several vessels engaged in pursuit of the 'indestructable' Geman battleship Graf Spee. Taking refuge in the neutral harbor of Montevideo, the Graf Spee is covertly protected by the Uruguayan government. Eventually, however, German captain Langsdorff (Peter Finch) is faced with a difficult decision: either stand his ground and fight a losing battle against the Exeter and its sister ships, or scuttle the Graf Spee and save the lives of his crew. Battle of the River Plate was released in the US as Pursuit of the Graf Spee. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, ...The Battle of the River Plate ( Pursuit of the Graf Spee )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A superbly presented edition of this movie, vibrant sharp colour,excellent story and superb acting.
Peter Finch as Langsdorff , Antony Quayle as Harwood , Bernard Lee as Captain Dove et al. ....Look out for Antony Newley ,Barry Foster and John LeMesurier in supporting roles.
The tale is of the persuit,trapping and ultimate destruction of the 'pocket battleship'Admiral Graf Spee by a combined British and New Zealand cruiser squadron.... The first victory of the war in December 1939.
A beautiful movie .... they don't make 'em like this any more.
Peter Finch as Langsdorff , Antony Quayle as Harwood , Bernard Lee as Captain Dove et al. ....Look out for Antony Newley ,Barry Foster and John LeMesurier in supporting roles.
The tale is of the persuit,trapping and ultimate destruction of the 'pocket battleship'Admiral Graf Spee by a combined British and New Zealand cruiser squadron.... The first victory of the war in December 1939.
A beautiful movie .... they don't make 'em like this any more.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Three small cruisers taking on a pocket battleship and winning?
Doesn't sound plausible, but it happened at Christmas in 1939.
What the movie shows is that at that stage of the war, none of the hatred and bitterness towards the Germans had yet set in, and the "game" was being played by gentlemen of the old school on both sides.
Good movie, good acting, good effects.
Buy and enjoy.
Doesn't sound plausible, but it happened at Christmas in 1939.
What the movie shows is that at that stage of the war, none of the hatred and bitterness towards the Germans had yet set in, and the "game" was being played by gentlemen of the old school on both sides.
Good movie, good acting, good effects.
Buy and enjoy.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A gripping tale of a David versus Goliath battle as three British cruisers take on the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee which was running riot in the south Atlantic and Indian ocean. It's slightly annoying for naval buffs because of the ship used to represent the Graf Spee. Likewise with Ajax and Achilles which had twin 6" turrets. In the film we saw triple 6" turrets all over the place. However, don't let that spoil a stirring tale
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
When decency still mattered
This is a great film accurately setting out an early British war-time victory but not sinking into stereotypes. Read more
Published 2 months ago by John Fareham
A classic
I remember seeing it in 1956 in the cinema in Sheffield when I was a boy. The quality of the DVD now is excellent.
Published 5 months ago by C. H. Rodgers
WW11 DVD's
Hi these dvd's were great value for money.
The synopsis was adequate and contained enough detail for me to understand what I was purchasing. Read more
The synopsis was adequate and contained enough detail for me to understand what I was purchasing. Read more
Published 5 months ago by crissy
A Sure Treat!
Few of us realize that probably the first battle of World War II was fought in South America. Here, "The Battle of the River Plate" is brilliantly performed by some of Britains... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Allen A. Schaefer
One of the worst war movie I tried to see
I couldn't stand watching it. Terrible. The story is a no-story. The photography is a no-photography. The characters are no-characters.
I'm passionate about good war movies. Read more
I'm passionate about good war movies. Read more
Published 16 months ago by TommasoG
The Battle of The River Plate
This reason why I bought this film is because apparently when Marilyn Monroe came to England in 1956 to film the Prince and the Show Girl with Lawrence Oliver she attended the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Vincenzo Brioni
Dramatic story of famous World War 2 sea battle
This is an excellent film, in colour, about the Royal Navy's hunt for and destruction of one of the famous German Pocket Battleships, the Graff Spee, which sunk thousands of tons... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. K. Heap
DON'T AGREE
Being a big fan of classic war movies, I was very excited when I came across this one and couldn't buy it fast enough but I was totally dissapointed. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jd Van Staden
battle of river plate
Arrived on time in good condition maintaining the high standards I have always experienced from Amazon.
Published 19 months ago by graham hodgson.
Post-WW2 flag-waver, loads of action
When this has been on TV I've always managed to miss part of it, so getting an excellent quality DVD was a good move.
It's a bit short of convincing character acting. Read more
It's a bit short of convincing character acting. Read more
Published 20 months ago by A. J. W. Daglish
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