El mar no perdona

Abandon Ship/Seven Waves Away is a very powerful and difficult film to watch, made a little more palatable by the presence of one of film's great matinée idols, Tyrone Power.

I'm sorry one of the posters didn't find him sexy. That man oozed sex from every pore of his body - just ask anyone who came within two feet of him, including his costar in this film, Mai Zetterling. Their torrid affair is discussed in vivid, oh so vivid detail in her autobiography - a whole 18-page chapter.

Sex aside, this film comes off as a great deal grittier than Lifeboat. For me, Tallulah Bankhead was so dazzling in Lifeboat, much of the focus was on her, which somehow dissipated a lot of the tragedy.

The two films are similar, though, on some plot points. However, due to Bankhead, there was some humor in Lifeboat. Abandon Ship/Seven Waves Away has none.

The film will keep you glued to your seat, but it is not easy to take, as it is unrelenting in its message and harrowing scenes. You will suffer along with each person who is sacrificed so that others may live.

It's great to see Tyrone Power in a meatier role, and I do believe his career would have taken some exciting turns, both on stage and screen, had he lived past the age of 44. His face was a total curse (to him only) and got in the way of serious acting pursuits for years.

His performance in Abandon Ship is excellent and stands as one of his best. There are other films where he had a tendency to tighten up, but this wasn't one of them.

It's a shame about him - like so many men of that era, he always had a cigarette in his hand; in Power's case, it was suspected he had heart trouble, but he was in denial about it and didn't want it verified. So we're stuck with what work of his we have, and a lot of it is pretty darn good.

** According to Mai Zetterling's book, All Those Tomorrows, the cast sat in a boat floating in a large indoor tank at Shepperton Studios. There were wind and wave machines and a watershoot pouring cold water on the cast. A starting pistol had to be used to start action as there was no way to hear the director. In the end, the whole film was dubbed because no one could hear.

Abandon Ship (1957)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Extremely difficult to watch but masterfully made is the best way to sum up this drama that will have your on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A luxury liner strikes a derailed land mine, explodes and sinks in seven seconds. Twenty-seven people survive with Officer Holmes (Tyrone Power) given orders to take control of the lifeboat and see to it that as many people survive as possible. The boat is 1500 miles from land with a major storm coming and the lifeboat is holding at least twelve people too many so Holmes must pick and choose which ones can stay on the top and which must go overboard. This film, based on a true story, is rather hard to watch and I'm sure many people will find it too unpleasant and will eventually turn it off. The film takes place in the water from start to finish and the shaky camera-work and constant throbbing in the water will get some sea sick but those who stick to the movie will find a lot of other things to be disgusted by. I'd say I'm an expert at watching some ugly stuff but even my stomach was turning due to the subject matter here, which is handled in a very raw and realistic way. Having one man play God and pick who gets to live and die is a soul searching cause and will really have you thinking. The movie starts off as your typical disaster pic but instead of action we get thoughts of what we would do in that situation. You'll ask yourself if you could throw a woman overboard to die and if everyone should die or if a select group should have the right to live. A movie fan really has to ask themselves if a masterfully directed movie with great performances is worth watching when the subject matter itself is too ugly. I'm sure many will stay away from the film and I'm really not sure if I'd want to sit through it again but there's no doubt at how well made the thing is. I've always been hit and miss on Power but after seeing his performance here I've turned into an instant fan. He's completely believable in the role and extremely strong in putting his character's thoughts right up there for us to see without having to say a single word. Mai Zetterling, Stephen Boyd, Lloyd Nolan and the rest of the cast are great as well but there's no question as to whose film it is. It's rather amazing that this film isn't better known as many disaster movies remain quite popular today. I'm going to guess the reason this one here has been forgotten is simply because many watching it won't want to recommend it to anyone. I can only imagine how a film like this hit people when it was first released because as movie viewers today we've become quite jaded to violence. There's no real violence here but there's no question that the film and its subject matter are a lot more brutal to watch than any slasher or violence packed action film.

From the opening scenes, director Richard Sale makes you aware that this is not going to be a "pretty" film. With the small shot of a simple sea mine floating in the water transforming into a classic 1950s explosion with horrific screams of passengers, Sale again reminds you that this is not going to be a typical Hollywood disaster film. As a reviewer, I must remind those reading that this is not a pretty picture – do not expect your typical film where the heroine always makes good decisions and those that are made do not impact the lives of others. "Seven Waves Away" was a flawless film. It is one of those rare, extremely rare gems that has gone out of print, probably forgotten by most, but when found will provide the most gut-wrenching 97 minutes of cinematic viewing. The plot is simple – a luxury liner is destroyed by a random mine, those surviving are cramped into a lifeboat only equipped to handle 12, 14 at the most, but the dilemma, there are 27 surviving passengers. Weight, rations, sanity, and control are all factors that our leader, Tyrone Powers, must struggle with to save as many lives as possible. With no land for the next 1200 miles, Powers must remain in control, even with death knocking at every door.

"Seven Waves Away" now ranks among one of my favorite films of all times. Why? Director Richard Sale does a phenomenal job directing a strong cast in such a small space. He creates a sense of claustrophobia that is unprecedented in the film industry. This film is the chapter missing from the over-budgeted disaster film "Titanic", which happily everyone shows up safe near the end. This is the human element of disaster, the choices that are made, and the difficulty of survival. This couldn't have happened without those playing their respective roles. Tyrone Powers was more than impressive as the designated master-in-command of this little boat full of scared people. When we first met him, as he assisted in others floating away from the wreckage, we can see that he is going to be a force in this film, and it isn't until he is pushed that we see the full potential of his character. He pushed himself away from any swashbuckling stereotypes that he was better known for, allowed water to be pushed into his face, and gave us a rugged performance that hasn't been seen for a very long time. It was due to Powers' portrayal that the others fell into their own characters as well. Others have argued that each character seemed cliché and at times racist, but to me, they all worked and fell into their roles respectively. The only one I had trouble believing was Mai Zetterling's portrayal of Powers' love interest and nurse. She was cardboard with lines, but worked with the others around her. She was tolerable because the actual story was powerfully near to perfection.

With the characters in place, a strong lead that obviously could control the darkening waters, all we needed to ensure was that there was a strong enough story to accompany these deserved moments. Thankfully, there was. "Seven Waves Away" was one of the tightest scripts that I have witnessed in a very long time. The camera shots were tight, the special effects were 50s style, but perfection in every direction, and the bleak tones were what kept me on the edge of my seat each minute of this film. There is something about a film, especially one made in the 50s that shows unfortunate people just floating out to their death. There is also something about the power of a film that isn't afraid to be honest to itself. "Seven Waves Away" was honest; the horrid nature of Powers saying "women and children don't mean anything anymore" had my heart racing. He was powerful, yet torn all at the same time. He carried a burden none of us would probably be willing to do, and oddly, he was hurt for it. The ending of this film is really what pulled it together for me. The excitement of the crew turned to a wicked shade of turnip at the first signs of possible safety. The honesty of this film is what struck the chord with me. It was powerful and real all at the same time. There wasn't time for cheap CGI or pathetic special effects, this was a human driven film, and it worked because they were all characters we either believed in or have once known. Which would you have been if you were in this boat – one of the strong or one of the weak? This is a conversation that I could have with anyone after viewing this film, and it is conversation that launches this film into my immediate favorites.

Overall, I don't think my words gave this film credit at all. It was, again, one of those rare films that should never go out of print, but remain a staple in our cinematic community. Tyrone Powers is superb, and Richard Sale gives us a story nearly worthy enough of Hitchcock. I still get goose bumps as I think about Powers making the final decision on those that are considered "dead weight". This film carried a heavy theme and wasn't afraid to show it to the world. It is a real film about honest events and the truth behind humanity, it speaks further truth now, and would make for a great re-interpretation if not Hollywood-ized too much. I cannot suggest this film enough. If ever you find yourself with a bit more money in the wallet, this film is the perfect investment for your collection. A beauty from beginning to end.

Grade: ***** out of *****

I liked this much in the way of Hitchcock's better known Lifeboat. Great character study of Tyrone Power in one of his last roles. Movie was shot in a large tank it seems as echos are heard. The only problem I have and I don't know if it's a goof or continuity problem is the fate of the first three characters and the dog on the floating wooden raft at the beginning of the movie. After Alec Holmes(Power)leaves them what happens to them? Otherwise a good flick. I like to point out that three Upstairs Downstairs alumni appear in this movie: Gordon Jackson, David Langton & Clive Morton. Power is great in a character twisting role as the first understanding acting captain and then as the more manaical Ahab like character who sacrifices peoples lives.

Even though I thought this film lacked qualities about the true event, I do acknowledge that Tyrone Powers was an actor with an abundant of talent. His ability to capture the viewer and hold the suspense is the reason that this movie is so well enjoyed by many.

The movie's, one and only, set is a small boat on the ocean. This happens as we are told a ship hits an old sea-mine and breaks the keel. Thus, making the ship sinks in minutes with few people surviving. We are not privy to see how the ship sank nor how the characters get into the water as the film begins after the sinking. The first bit of dialog starts as characters are already clinging to floating wreckage.

The rest of the movie all happens in the ocean. Here, Alec Holmes (Powers), will be in charge of a small boat that has way too many people aboard. Holmes makes the decision that some have to go-- and this brings us to the plot of the story.

The entire movie hinges on Power's ability to hold the audience's attention for nearly 90 minutes. Tyrone Powers accomplishes this task by giving a powerful performance. The only drawback of the movie are some of the small scenes that were overplayed for dramatic effect. It happens right at the beginning as two survivors cope with the sinking and lost of love ones. Another is when the radio operator tells that he never sent out a SOS message - and then near the end when one person wants to drown but is saved by others. Otherwise an enjoyable film to watch.