L'ennemi silencieux

Fond memories of this film as my Dad was one of the commandos who had to swim over to Spain to blow up the dastardly Axis'. Though for a Brit', it is a bit strange saying "which one are you Dad? Are you Sid James?" His memory of the commander was that he was a tad eccentric who slept in a rubber blanket. Then my Dad has lots of old recollections of World War 2, Russian Convoys, North Africa, serving on a Free French vessel (it had been re-fitted in America so had an ice-cream maker on board and as well as the British Navy ration of Rum got the French ration of Wine as well) and behind enemy lines in South East Asia. This film is the only one I know of of his own exploits though.

Laurence Harvey in, I think his best role, playing Lionel Kenneth "Buster" Crabb OBE GM. I love this film, based on a true story and a real life hero. Crabb was awarded the George Medal for his work in Gibraltar to disarm mines from British warships based there.

There is a great mix of fact and some humour thrown in with the appearance of Sid James as a Chief Petty Officer charged with getting the new frogmen fit for the long and dangerous work they had to undertake. A classic British Black and white war film in every sense.

Its also a film close to my heart as my late father actually dived with Lt Cdr. Crabb on HMS Reclaim just before he went missing undertaking secret dives underneath the soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze in Portsmouth Harbour.

Overall a great must watch film for B&W war film fans.

A superb wartime adventure, the Silent Enemy is the true story of Lieutenant Crabbe, a Royal Navy bomb and mine disposal officer sent to Gibraltar on a urgent mission to undo damage being inflicted on the fleet by sly Italian frogmen led by a brilliant underwater engineer. Though he has never dived before Crabbe takes to the underwater world like a fish, and with the help of a plucky NCO and dedicated but tiny band of men turns back the hidden menace. Crabbe and his courageous crew ultimately stop the Italian 10th Flotilla divers from turning the tide of the war.

Characters and acting are sharp. Cinematography and staging on land and especially underwater are very good. Writing is great too. The military historical significance is that these underwater demolition techniques and technologies are the precursors of modern Navy SEALs, Special Boat Squads, etc. The movie significance is that the characters and plot elements foreshadow every James Bond and action movie that's ever had frogmen, underwater fight scenes, secret ships, mini-subs, or stealty sub-surface saboteurs. Being drawn from real life, I found The Silent Enemy even more compelling.

THE SILENT ENEMY is a fine WW2 movie of the kind the British used to make so well. This one boasts an interesting, fact-based story about a little known theatre of war and an exceptional ensemble cast who really bring life to the various roles. Laurence Harvey plays an enthusiastic young officer who is shipped off to Gibraltar to help combat the threat of Italian frogmen who have been mining and destroying Allied shipping trying to access the Med.

Harvey, who sports stubble and blond hair in this film, is playing the real-life wartime diver 'Buster' Crabb, the man who died in mysterious circumstances shortly before this film was made. Harvey usually plays insufferable characters but he's very good here, strong-willed and perfectly heroic. I'm not usually a fan of underwater-themed movies as I found they're usually let down by lacklustre underwater photography, but this film's different; the action scenes are highly suspenseful and complimented by strong special effects work.

I liked the way that THE SILENT ENEMY is a film that focuses on technology and the apparatus of war while being readily accessible to the layman viewer at the same time. The supporting cast includes a great role for Sid James who brings some of his dry humour to a serious production and the likes of Michael Craig, Dawn Addams, Nigel Stock, and David Lodge. I was also pleased to see a bunch of youthful and famous Italian actors playing their countrymen: Gianna Maria Canale, Massimo Serato, and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart are all present here before they became big faces in Italian genre cinema of the 1960s.

"The Silent Enemy" is a most unusual film because I have never seen another movie like it. The plot, needless to say, is very unusual. It's about the exploits of Lieutenant Crabb (Laurence Harvey), the leader of a group of underwater divers who were responsible for protecting British ships in Gibraltar. To do so, they helped to create the first generation scuba gear--dangerous stuff considering mistakes cost you your life.

The style of the film, as other reviewers have said, is a bit like a documentary and I appreciate that the film lacked the extreme fanfare and 'bigness' of many war films. Instead, it's personal and interesting...a film about some really amazing people.