Sopra di noi il mare

A film about an atack on the German warship TIRPITZ a story that is well told,with tense and tragic moments.The story shows how ordinary men can perform extraordinary taskes when their country is at war.Wether the story really happened like this I do not know but once you start watching this film grips you,I would like to know what happened to the guys who are involved I hope they went on to lead fullfilling lives because they are true heroes.

I have just seen the film for the umpteenth time and of course the facts as portrayed in the film are not always a true reflection of the actual reports of the raid. Incidents that are shown as the interior of a submarine that was destroyed can be nothing other than fiction. Some of the episodes were factually correct therefore I find that the comment by mailmartinbuckley regarding the scene where Donald Sinden fends off a mine with his feet was misplaced. It was a recreation of the incident where Lt.B.C.G Place from X7 did exactly that. If he refers to bbc.co.uk/history and enters "Tirpitz" he can read the account of the raid by Dr.Eric Grove, a naval historian

John Mills sets off to convince a sceptical Admiral (James Robertson Justice) of the merits of "midget" submarines in active warfare. His intention is to use these tiny craft to lay high explosives underneath the hull of the mighty Nazi battleship "Tirpitz" that is safely anchored in a steep-sided Norwegian fjord. John Gregson and Donald Sinden join him on the mission deep into the heart of enemy territory fighting both the elements and the novel technology. You get a sense of he claustrophobic conditions - and of the close teamwork that engenders, as well as the fragility of their craft and; tempered by the odd light-hearted moment, this is quite a gripping little wartime tale.

A lot of things about this film make you think director Ralph Thomas slept his way through the job. The scene when Donald Sinden tries to push off a mine with his feet is amazingly badly done. The film also fails to give you a real sense of what the mission achieved! (It did not, as the film implies, break the back of the ship -- but did succeed in putting Tirpitz out of action for half a year; the RAF finally destroyed her a year after the midget attack.) But there are plenty of decent scenes, and some real tension. The script isn't bad, and having the Germans speak in (unsubtitled) German adds authenticity. John Mills is, as always, excellent. Above all, the film tells a true story, of primitive, cramped baby submarines, poorly insulated diving suits and icy water. And real heroism.

This is a brilliant Naval film. The failed midgit submarines, that caused heavy casualties, when attepmting to sink the so called "Unsinkable" Tirpitz. John Mills plays the part of a captain very well, in the struggle to prove them, and then failing. With Lyndon Brook, and Lee Patterson to, it makes a great movie. Deffintaly worth seeing!