Les pirates de la Manche

This is an astounding study of misanthropy: Attenborough plays a weak, snivelling pup who is befriended, educated and protected by Redgrave--a father-figure--who happens to be a criminal (a smuggler); There are some similarities to "The Informer" here; the movie, incidentally, takes its title from (I think) a poem, with the line: "There is a man within me/ that's angry with me." Incidentally, I saw this film when it first was released in this country; I guess I was about 16, and it was one of the first "foreign" films I'd ever seen...and I guess it made quite an impression on me, because that was fifty years ago.

Actually I haven't seen the film. I've just finished reading The Man Within, which is complicated and powerful. I wanted to see if it had been filmed. Greene was after all a film fan and screenwriter as well as a hugely successful novelist.

Yes, the flyleaf quotes Browne: "There's another man within me that's angry with me." A lot of Greene's novels were filmed, including The Third Man, The Heart of the Matter, and The End of the Affair. I think novelists deserve hugely more credit than they get for successful adaptations.

Yes I know this post is slightly off-point.

This film is virtually unknown.I can never recall it showing on TV in the UK and it is not available on DVD>It is an interesting film with an exceptional cast.However most of the film seems to consist of Richard Attenborough being flogged,tortured or threatened.not surprisingly his most oft used line is "I hate him".Furthermore when offered the ample charms of Jean Kent he resists her and flees back to Joan Greenwood who is afflicted with an awful French accent.There is some very good technicolour camera-work.However it is clear that this film must have got lost in the rush of costume dramas coming out of Gainsborough Studios.It doesn't deserve to be forgotten.

Richard Attenborough (Andrews) is getting tortured at the beginning of the film. He recounts his tale to his torturers who are after the lowdown on top smuggler Michael Redgrave (Carlyon). Dickie was taken under the wing of Redgrave at a young age and put on the boats to assist Redgrave in his activities and make a man of the friendless youngster. Well, he remains friendless throughout the film. He's not popular and he's a grass. Everyone is after him.

Surprisingly, this is a colour film and has a very worn look about it, ie, the colours run and this adds to the charm. Unfortunately, the picture quality isn't very good - it's actually very poor in places. Still, it's watchable and the story is good. Looks like Redgrave is not a man to be messed with. He WILL find you.

The film has a strange message and is no way a blueprint for anyone who wants to enter a life of gangster glamour. If you act like Dickie you are a dead man.

Where can I get a copy of this movie? The ship in the movie was owned by my wife's family.