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Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on the true story of Lord Louis Mountbatten's destroyer HMS Kelly, In Which We Serve is one of the most memorable British films made during World War II. Unfolding in flashback as survivors cling to a dingy, constantly strafed by the Luftwaffe, the film recounts the history of HMS Torrin through various battles to her sinking off the coast of North Africa, interwoven with the onshore lives of her crew. The film was the inspiration of Noel Coward, who desperately wanted to do something for the war effort, and he produced, wrote the screenplay, composed the stirring musical score and starred as Captain Edward Kinross. Coward also officially co-directed, though in reality he soon handed the reigns over to David Lean, whose directorial debut this became. There is a fine performance from Celia Johnson, anticipating her character in Lean and Coward's Brief Encounter (1946) and excellent support from John Mills, as well as a star-making debut from an uncredited Richard Attenborough. The use of real navy and army personal as extras, together with lavish studio production and authentic shipboard location footage lends the film a sense of realism unusual for the time. A landmark in the careers of many of the most important names in British film, this moving and occasionally harrowing classic has a vital place in the development of British cinema.
On the DVD: The image is presented in a close approximation of the original 1.37:1 Academy ratio using a print that is good for its age but which would benefit from some restoration, several scenes showing notable damage. The sound is robust mono, though the main title music is very distorted. Speech is very clear. Extras are the original trailer, a stills gallery set to music from the film and a 23-minute retrospective documentary. This last is excellent, containing information on how to simulate bullets hitting water using condoms, and interviews with surviving members of the production including Sir John Mills and cinematographer Ronald Neame. --Gary S Dalkin
Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
English
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Documentary
Behind The Scenes Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Cast And Crew Biographies
Interactive Menus
English
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Documentary
Behind The Scenes Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Cast And Crew Biographies
Interactive Menus
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A GREAT British film,
By Emanon "Mr Holmes (they were the footprints o... (Derbyshire) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
This review is from: In Which We Serve (Restored) [DVD] (DVD)
This is without a doubt one of my favourite ever British films. Undoubtedly it is pure propaganda, made at the height of World War Two, but somehow it manages to rise above this and just become fabulously entertaining. Some people can be turned off by Noel Coward and Celia Johnson's "fraightfully posh" performances as Captain Kinross (Captain "D" as he's known to his crew) and his wife, but if you look beyond that you find a terrifically good film with some powerful and moving scenes that stick in the mind long, long after the film is over: The tragedy of Bernard Miles Petty Officer's homecoming; Young Richard Attenborough as a youthful seaman running scared from his post and having to come to terms with the consequences of it; Sir John Mills as "Shorty" Blake tending to the injured and his homecoming after being missing presumed dead; Captain D's emotional farewell to his crew that makes many a stiff upper lip tremble - and many more tiny moments that just make this a true classic of it's kind. The fact that it was co-directed by its star and David Lean means that some of the photography is superb, especially when you consider what was happening in the real world during production.
This Carlton edition also includes a short documentary about the making of the film (in which, amongst other things, you learn why a certain Mr William Hartnell does not appear in it!) and other minor extras like biographies and a trailer.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Turns a Statistic into a Human Story,
By
This review is from: In Which we Serve [DVD] [1942] (DVD)
This film was made and released in 1942, at the height of World War 2, a crucial year in the battle of the Atlantic.
It tells the story of a ship, from its construction to its sinking. We see the home lives of the crew, from the dinner parties of the captain to the kitchen sinks of the crew. Some are killed, and some survive. It reminds us of the very human tragedy of loss of life in the war, which can seem like just a statistic sixty odd years later. The sense of duty and camaraderie amongst the crew is truly touching. The picture quality is not the best, but it is perfectly watchable. The film shows us the sacrifices that previous generations made to keep us free.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dramatic WWII heart felt story.,
By A Customer
This review is from: In Which We Serve [DVD] [1942] (DVD)
During the early dark years of the last war, British cinema managed to produce this epic. With a cast of all the best available, and headed up by the upright and perfect Noel Coward, the story followed the life and adventures of a single ship and her crew in a hetic but short existance.The story is based loosely on the exploits of Lord Louie Mountbatten and his ship HMS Kelly. Just what the public needed to lift the gloomy feelings of a dark and almost defeated Great Britain. A must for any classic collector or younger generation to learn values of friendship and comradship, thrown together by the ravages of war.
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