Aux postes de combat

I must confess I'd not heard of this film as it was off my radar (no pun intended) despite starring those two fine actors Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark in the leads and the solid Martin Balsam in support. More fool me as it proved to be a fine, gritty Cold War thriller, highlighting explicitly then and still, I'd contend, now, that one wilful or accidental action in the heat of the moment could lead to catastrophe for the world. The film skilfully combines a study of men under pressure with the wider political picture, at the same time cleverly invoking the classic story of Moby Dick, with Widmark's Captain Freelander as obsessed with catching a fleeing Russian submarine as old Captain Ahab was his pesky whale.

All the action takes place on Freelander's US navy destroyer encompassing a gradually increasing character examination of the wilful Captain, driving his crew to exhaustion and the end of their wits by keeping them constantly at attention or GQ as it's called here, so that in the end a simple misunderstanding by a pressurised, even terrorised young officer of a phrase used by the captain in conversation leads to disaster. The abrupt ending is particularly memorable, the better for being so inevitable and brutal.

Widmark as the crusty old captain is excellent in his portrayal of this particular single-minded sailor, while Poitier is also fine as the journalist who by questioning the captain's methods effectively acts as the conscience of the film, for once his skin colour having no bearing on his character''s relevance to the plot. Balsam too steps up as the passed over new medical officer who yet predicts the climactic outcome from way back.

Tautly directed in black and white, the tension is palpable as the American ship closes in on its prey and nerves become frayed to breaking point on the bridge, in so doing making an early case for greater psychological consideration due to crew members as advocated by Balsam's character.

Topical and relevant, especially with recent events echoing even today in Syria, this is an unflinching and superbly acted contemporary thriller which deserves to be better known.

The Bedford Incident is directed by James B. Harris and is adapted by James Poe from the 1963 book by Mark Rascovich. It stars Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, with Widmark co-producing. The cast also features James McArthur, Martin Balsam, Wally Cox and Eric Portman, as well as early appearances by Donald Sutherland and Ed Bishop.

The story is set during the Cold War and focuses on the captain and crew of the USS Bedford as it patrols the North Atlantic waters for Russian submarine activities. Capt. Eric Findlander (Widmark) is a tough authoritarian figure who drives his crew hard and keeps them ever ready for any sort of incidents that may arise. They respond loyally to his ethics, this is a crew where nobody ever goes on sick call such is the hard approach instilled in them by their captain. Two newcomers have boarded the ship by helicopter: Ben Munceford (Poitier), a liberal newspaper journalist, assigned to write a story about the Bedford and its grizzled captain and a ship's doctor, Lieut. Comdr. Chester Potter (Balsam), a reserve officer who has volunteered for active duty. Both men are quickly disliked by Findlander, he sees their being there as intrusive and upsetting the tough equilibrium of his ship. When a Russian sub is spotted unlawfully in Greenland's territorial icy waters, Finlander stalks it ready to take action. But the top brass doesn't want a perilous situation arising between the two nuclear powered ships and orders Finlander to sit tight, something he is unable to comprehend and intends to do things his own way. With his hard driven crew at breaking point, this could turn into a catastrophic incident...

Taut, tense and impeccably acted by the cast, The Bedford Incident is a superior psycho-drama that feeds off of the paranoia of the Cold War and cloaks it in military claustrophobia. It offers up the dangers of military aggression fuelled by some sense of patriotic duty, with an intriguing "hunt till we drop" iron fist ethic making for an engrossing narrative thread. The film of course is not alone in the "doomsday" scheme of things, even the previous year had seen the release of Sidney Lumet's Fail-Safe and Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (a link here coming courtesy of James B. Harris having been Kubrick's producer for almost ten years), but Harris' movie is more than the equal of any other film with the same thematics. The box office returns for the film at the time didn't do it justice, but time has been kind to the movie. For now it can be viewed as a lesson in jangling the nerves, a reference point in how to script polar opposite characters; thriving on dialogue set in amongst murky military zeal and an unstable political environment. Now more than ever the film serves as a cautionary tale. Tho there's some differences from the book, the film follows the novel fairly closely. However, the big change comes with the ending. I don't consider it hyperbole to suggest that the ending to the film is stunning. A fitting closure to the piece and the ultimate release from the stifling grip that the makers had held the viewers in throughout the story. Shot in stark black and white by Gilbert Taylor and with Widmark at the top of his game, The Bedford Incident is a must see for the serious War movie fan. 8/10

For me, this is one of the best movies of the cold war era, up there with the likes of "Fail Safe" and "On the Beach". Extremely well directed and acted, it should be on any collector's shelf as DVD when so released. The tension is maintained throughout and the climax is one of the best in a film that I have ever seen. Also significant is the fact that Sidney Poitier's colour is never an issue either verbally or by implication, something quite remarkable for a movie made over 35 years ago.

Having served aboard this very class of ship during the late 60's and early 70's, I can attest that the events, from a technical standpoint, are frighteningly real. The Queeg-like personality of the Captain is a bit of a stretch, but the events in the movie come right out of the battle plans of the Navy (at the time).

The tension of the situation is palpable. Even at the time, the outcome was in doubt, but the outcome was believable. It still is.

The Bedford Incident is a Cold War Navy story with the captain of the destroyer, USS Bedford playing a game of cat and mouse with a Soviet submarine which has strayed inside the territorial waters of Greenland.

These kinds of things happened quite a lot during those tension filled days of the Cold War. Fortunately neither we or the Soviets had a captain like Richard Widmark who is determined to push the envelope all the way if he can.

On the voyage that this game of nuclear tag takes place, Widmark is saddled with a pair of outsiders and he doesn't like it at all. First is Sidney Poitier a photojournalist who constantly keeps getting underfoot as Widmark sees it. The second is a medical officer Martin Balsam whom he didn't request.

Widmark is a frightening man. He keeps everything and everyone on the ship so tense he's even got Eric Portman concerned. Portman is a NATO adviser and a former German U-Boat commander. As Poitier says, 'Hitler's Navy to which he's corrected, 'no Admiral Doenitz's Navy.

Under his command, young ensign James MacArthur is afraid to breathe wrong and sonar man Wally Cox suffers a nervous breakdown. The lack of relief for both of these guys has tragic results.

The Bedford Incident remains a curiously forgotten film while such work as Dr. Strangelove and Failsafe people remember better. That's not right, The Bedford Incident is in some respects superior to both of those classics. It's about the strain of command as much as anything else and it's also about the dangers of a truculent attitude in the person with the command.

Hopefully this forgotten classic will get more recognition one day.