Sopra di noi il mare

As I recently said about SINK THE BISMARK, UK film industry in the fifties and early sixties brought us great films, war films, I mean. DAM BUSTERS, SINK THE BISMARK, this very one, CARVE HER NAME WITH PRIDE, BATTLE OF RIO DE LA PLATA, WE DIVE AT DAWN.... Not necessarily dumb propaganda films, such a most of Russian movies or even patriotic US features. Those British films were pretty well made, with solid characterization, suspense, and excellent camera work. German enemy was also not always showed as dumb Nazis whom we could nearly laugh at. These English features were for me the best war movies before THE LONGEST DAY like huge production emerged in the sixties. The rest of "Allied"( but not German !!!) cinema war films - except some rare items such as Bob Aldrich's ATTACK - the other war films are garbage for me. Good American and British against Evil Nazis. Evil, maybe, but certainly not jerks.....This submarine war film is not at the level of DAS BOOT, from director Wolfgang Petersen, of course - no film will ever arrive at its ankle - but I highly recommend it to any war film buff.

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

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!

I first saw this in the 1960's and revisited it some fifty years later.

Of course it is of its time. It combines a story based on fact that is compelling and courageous, with a modest budget. The special effects are clunky, the costuming erratic, and armoury dubious, but it doesn't really matter. The story is well told, and dramatic. Submarine movies are at their best underwater where the claustrophobic drama is intense, and at their worst when that leaves them with nowhere to go. Here, fortunately the climax is on the surface, and incidental gems like a passing German patrol vessel playing music loudly also take place topside.

The portrayal of toffs in charge and salt of the earth ranks grate a little now, but John Mills is a sound, reflective toff.

Modern adrenaline junkies will not be impressed, but the simple heroism and determination portrayed is as impressive now as it was then.

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.