The concept is utterly outstanding; the narration (at the beginning and the end) is rather unfortunate - Michael Pate's delivery is so exuberant, more appropriate for an educational short than a post-war drama, that one is surprised he doesn't conclude sentences with "And how!" I'm also a little surprised by the tone that the picture adopts generally, though I suppose it's reasonable after all given the wry, morbid, fatalistic sense of levity the characters bear in accordance with the scenario. Mind you, with that tone established early on, every instance of more dour eventfulness becomes all the more striking for the disparity, and moreover, the picture becomes more serious in little time at all. I don't think it's perfect, nor an essential must-see, but 'Ten seconds to hell' is a broadly strong, engaging title, and worth checking out.
It never fails to catch my eye to see Hammer Films associated with a title that's not a horror flick, but as this is a joint venture with UFA and Seven Arts, and produced by Michael Carreras, that's just what we get. Whether one wishes to attribute the excellence herein to that involvement or otherwise, I'm quite pleased with the production design, art direction, and effects, and the original music, and these facets alone manage to inculcate an unexpected level of uneasy atmosphere, tension, and suspense as the picture advances. Factor in Ernest Laszlo's capable cinematography, and Robert Aldrich's firm, steady direction, and I think it's safe to say the feature is rather pleasing, and an easy viewing experience. The narrative and scene writing are also fantastic, serving up one moment after another that's primed for explosive (sorry) storytelling potential, and by and large that potential is unquestionably realized with the terrific contributions of all on hand. That includes a splendid cast, not least chief stars Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler, and Martine Carol, who get the most time on-screen and who especially bring their characters to life with wonderful, subtle personality and nuance. Again, this is a smooth and readily digestible movie, and every detail lends to that.
Setting aside Pate's narration and the tonal matter, the primary issue with 'Ten seconds to hell' is a decided unevenness in how it's written. Oh yes, it's swell overall - but the characters and dialogue simply aren't as convincing, which unfortunately means that the less scenes are centered on the core notion of bomb disposal, the weaker they are. The romantic aspect thusly seems a trifle by comparison, and for as important as the characters and their personalities theoretically are to the tableau, those scenes where we learn more about them don't feel like they specifically add to the plot. Such inclusions could have been reduced to their barest element, in the process reducing the runtime, and nothing would have really been lost; an unfortunate reflection on the title yes, but at least, not its chief focus.
The good news is that any subjective flaws don't wholly detract from the viewing experience, and far more than not this is solid. The cast is quite fine, all the contributions of those behind the scenes are dandy, and the storytelling around the root premise is superb. If it falters slightly in writing and execution, well, I've seen other pictures go a lot more wrong than this. 'Ten seconds to hell' might not be quintessential, unless perhaps you're a diehard fan of someone involved, but by all means it's an enjoyable, generally satisfying movie that still holds up pretty well. Maybe don't feel like you need to go out of your way for it, but if you have the chance to watch, this is worth ninety minutes of your time.
