- Actors: John Mills, Louis Bradfield, Ronald Millar, Jack Watling, Reginald Purdell
- Directors: Anthony Asquith
- Writers: Frank Launder, J.B. Williams, Val Valentine
- Producers: Edward Black
- Language English, German
- Classification: U
- Studio: Carlton
- VHS Release Date: 1 Oct 1999
- Run Time: 98 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CKA2
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 10,544 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
We Dive at Dawn (1943) tells of the encounter between a British submarine and a German warship in the Baltic Sea. John Mills gives a dependable performance as the submarine commander, with Eric Portman the pick of a strong supporting cast. Director Anthony Asquith finds the balance between action sequences and "in situ" dialogue, and there's an evocative score from Louis Levy. The film has long been underrated and deserves reappraisal.--Richard Whitehouse
Synopsis
We Dive At Dawn is a gripping tale of WWII naval warfare in the Baltics, starring John Mills as Lt. Freddie Taylor, a British submarine Captain. The crew of the Sea Tiger are summoned from leave on shore with their families, and sent on a secret mission to intercept the Nazi battleship Brandenburg. In the ensuing battle the British submarine is damaged by a German destroyer but, after a tense time playing dead, manages to elude the Germans. Despite this, the submarine is leaking fuel so badly that the crew won't be able to make it back to England before running out somewhere along the Danish coast. When it seems that their only option may be to blow up the submarine and try to escape to Denmark, seaman James Hobson (Eric Portman) hatches a plan. Fluent in German, he puts on the uniform of a captured German airman and goes into a small port on a Danish island in search of a source of fuel. Working from a well constructed script, Anthony Asquith--best know for adapting stage works (“Pygmalion”, “The Browing Version”)--adds a strong sense of dramatic tension to the interactions between the men in the dangerous, claustraphobic atmosphere of the cramped submarine. Mills and Portman also give good, realistic portrayals of men at war in this tense story.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One has to admire the movie "We Dive at Dawn," especially considering that at the time it was being made, Britain was still in the midst of fighting the Germans, and victory in World War II was nowhere near an assured thing.
The movie itself tells the story of the Royal Navy submarine Sea Tiger, and its pursuit into the Baltic of the German battleship Brandenburg. The movie starts a little slow with an odd little bit of what people today would call "soap opera" as we follow the seamen of the Sea Tiger on shore leave and see a glimpe into their private lives. That leave however is abruptly canceled as one by one the crew are recalled to duty on board the submarine.
That's when the picture really picks up with rising tension and suspense. To say anymore would realy spoil much of the fun of the movie, but be assured there is action aplenty and well shaped characterization in this gem of the British cinema.
One quibble about the transfer. When I first put in the disc I was somewhat perturbed by the quality of the movie with the occassional blurring and odd editing. However once the action began I found it easy to ignore these shortcomings (probably a result of the movie's age) and instead just enjoyed it's escapism.
The movie itself tells the story of the Royal Navy submarine Sea Tiger, and its pursuit into the Baltic of the German battleship Brandenburg. The movie starts a little slow with an odd little bit of what people today would call "soap opera" as we follow the seamen of the Sea Tiger on shore leave and see a glimpe into their private lives. That leave however is abruptly canceled as one by one the crew are recalled to duty on board the submarine.
That's when the picture really picks up with rising tension and suspense. To say anymore would realy spoil much of the fun of the movie, but be assured there is action aplenty and well shaped characterization in this gem of the British cinema.
One quibble about the transfer. When I first put in the disc I was somewhat perturbed by the quality of the movie with the occassional blurring and odd editing. However once the action began I found it easy to ignore these shortcomings (probably a result of the movie's age) and instead just enjoyed it's escapism.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This dramatic WW2 film shows a lot of action, some on spot comedy and more as it comes to the climax of sinking the Brandenburg.
If you have seen films like: "Run Silent, Run Deep", "Das Boot" or "U-571" you will recognize scenes you have seen in those above. Even though this film was made during the war it lacks nothing in suspense or quality.
The use of an actual submarine and some scenes at Scapa Flow make it even more real.
If you have seen films like: "Run Silent, Run Deep", "Das Boot" or "U-571" you will recognize scenes you have seen in those above. Even though this film was made during the war it lacks nothing in suspense or quality.
The use of an actual submarine and some scenes at Scapa Flow make it even more real.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I love a good war movie, but there's something really special about a good war movie made during a time of war – and Great Britain pretty much cornered the market on those during World War II. 1943 wasn't exactly a banner year in British history, but the spirit and pluck of the British spirit that would ultimately lead them to victory is strongly revealed in this memorable submarine drama. We Dive At Dawn not only takes you underneath the waves for some pretty realistic combat, it gives you a great picture of submarine life and the camaraderie of the men who manned the tin cans of terror.
The movie starts rather slow, as we are introduced to the crew of the Sea Tiger as it heads home for a much-anticipated leave. You've got guys just looking for a good time, an officer lining up appointments with all of his favorite "aunts," a fellow with exceedingly cold feet over his pending nuptials, and one poor sailor who barely gets to see his little boy because his wife wants nothing to do with him. The men don't get to relive civilian life for long, though, as orders soon come in for them to report back to their sub. The Royal Navy has a special job for the Sea Tiger – sink the Brandenburg, one of Germany's fancy new battleships. It's a dangerous mission, as the sub will have to travel close to the surface in order to make their appointed rendezvous time with the iron behemoth. They have to be ever vigilant and ready to dive at a moment's notice in order to keep from being spotted by any German planes or sailing vessels. It looks like the mission might be scrubbed when they discover they are too late to intercept the Brandenburg close to the German coast. That's when the tension really begins to build, though, as the Captain decides to enter the dangerous Baltic Sea in pursuit of their prey. The Baltic is dangerous territory; just getting in is a problem, and the comparatively shallow sea is laced with mines. Once they finally spot the Brandenburg and fire upon it, they are assailed by depth charges that leave the Sea Tiger leaking water and spewing much-needed (and easily detectable) oil. They don't even know if any of their torpedoes hit the target or not. This is when things really get good. A safe return to England looks darn near impossible – unless the sub can somehow play possum long enough to escape German eyes and somehow engineer a miraculous refueling at a hostile port.
There's nothing fancy about We Dive at Dawn. It's just an excellent, realistic film that really gives you a feel for submarine life and combat during the height of World War II. It also pays tribute to the indomitable British spirit that would see them through the darkest days of the early 1940s.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The best British submarine movie?
I first owned this as a Betamax tape. I later bought it on VHS and much later still on DVD.
I think I first saw it on TV, probably in the 50s or 60s (I wan't born when... Read more
I think I first saw it on TV, probably in the 50s or 60s (I wan't born when... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Claptonian
"We Dive At Dawn (1943) ... John Mills ... Anthony Asquith (Director)...
VCI Entertainment and Gainsborough Pictures, presents "WE DIVE AT DAWN" (1943) (97 min/B&W) -- Starring John Mills, Louis Bradfield, Ronald Millar, Jack Watling, Reginald Purdell,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by J. Lovins
Cor Lummy!
Lots of nautical types in grimey woollen sweaters, trying to sink the Brandenburg and get back home. Read more
Published 15 months ago by S. Swingler
We Dive At Dawn, 2010 ITV Silver Collection release - Patriotic morale...
Starring John Mills as the Captain and Eric Portman as Hobson, this is an entertaining tale of a British submarine crew, their mission to sink a German battleship and their... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Victor
the great john mills
excellent war time dvd
P614 and P615 submarines were used in the making of this film
sadly P614 was sunk with the loss of the crew
some of the crew were extras in... Read more
P614 and P615 submarines were used in the making of this film
sadly P614 was sunk with the loss of the crew
some of the crew were extras in... Read more
Published 23 months ago by keith3879
An Excellent and Tense Submarine Movie
This was a pleasant suprise, considering it was made during the war I found it incredibly gripping and realistic. Read more
Published on 15 May 2010 by The Reviewer
Fails to transcend the morale boosting intention
I fear I can't share the general enthusiasm from reviewers here. To mention it in the same breath as Run Silent, Run Deep, let alone Das Boot, is way off beam in my view. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2009 by Humpty Dumpty
Should have stayed under.
Probably acceptable in wartime 1942, this movie has not aged well. Apart from the terribly, terribly patriotic posturings of the cast, neither the plot nor the sets are convincing... Read more
Published on 23 May 2009 by John Barrett Rose
A tense war movie -- the Sea Tiger hunts the Brandenburg -- from 1943,...
If you're in the middle of a ferocious war and it's still not clear that you're going to come out on top, among the things you'll be concerned with is to keep up the morale of the... Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
Stunning nostalgia
Well, we all know that the Germans had it with submarines in WWII. This is a British movie about the Royal Navy subs, and it's a fine film, if you disregard verity. Read more
Published on 1 April 2003 by "kobutasodesu"
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