Ceux qui servent en mer

Naval men watch their ship sink as they cling to a raft and remember the lives they left in "In Which We Serve," a 1942 film starring Noel Coward, John Mills, Celia Johnson, and Bernard Miles. The story takes place in World War II and shows how the war affected the British soldiers and their loved ones. Noel Coward also wrote and co-directed this film with David Lean. Like Coward's Brief Encounter, there are no glamorous movie star types. This is the story of the common man bound together by war and by their ship. Coward is Captain Kinross, who has a wife (Celia Johnson) and two children. John Mills is "Shorty," a seaman who falls in love while on leave, gets married and has a short honeymoon. Bernard Miles is Walter Hardy, a happily married man whose wife hates having him go away. Each man reflects on his story in flashback.

The impact of "In Which We Serve" must have been very powerful when it was first released. The announcement of war by the Prime Minister which comes over the radio is met with a chilling silence that the audience feels along with the men. The devastation of a blackout, the impact of the bombs at sea are very real.

"In Which We Serve" is the story of a ship, the HMS Torrin, but we learn quickly that a ship is about its people, united in one cause and who share a special camaraderie. The captain's final speech to his men is highly emotional, all the more so because it is so restrained.

All of the acting is top-notch. Someone commented that Coward seemed stiff. I think his role called for a certain formality. Hard to believe John Mills was ever that young. Celia Johnson, in her first film role, is wonderful. Coward obviously had no problems attracting the best actors to the film, as every person fits his or her role perfectly.

Like many classics, despite changes in film technique, the core story remains compelling, especially today with so many soldiers in Iraq. In one scene, the camera falls on some of the seamen as they go to their stations to do battle. Each man was carefully chosen to show his extreme youth. It was a terrible time for the world, but somehow the film is strangely uplifting. A no-miss.

The story of British Navy Destroyer HMS Torrin, told in flashback by the surviving crew members as they await rescue in the Mediterranean, the ship having been sunk during a battle.

This film was something of a tour-de-force for Noel Coward, as he produced, wrote and co-directed it (with a young David Lean). Considering its age, the film stands up quite well today. It obviously seems dated in some respects - the dialogue is quite clipped and stilted at times - but is saved by professional work all round and a clutch of strong performances, namely by Noel Coward himself, John Mills and Bernard Miles. Its also notable for the screen debut of Richard Attenborough (it was screened over the holiday weekend as part of a celebration of his upcoming 80th Birthday).

While some may find it presenting an overly romanticised view of the Royal Navy at war, it should be remembered that at the time it was made, in 1942, victory over Germany was still far from certain. With that in mind, it surely must have achieved its aim of boosting the morale of those who saw it. Over 60 years on it remains good solid entertainment and an intriguing glimpse into the mindset of the day.

The British destroyer HMS Torrin serves as the meeting place where men from all walks of life come together as they are called to do their duty for their country. The lives of the different men interconnect in amazing ways, in good times and during tragedy at sea.

David Lean and Noel Coward shared the directorial duty in a film that is one of the best ones of the genre. It would appear impossible by today's egotistical standards that two men, like Mr. Coward and Mr. Lean, would even consent to work in a film project. The unity shown in the making of the film must have come from those trying days during the war days in England.

The large ensemble cast put together for the film showcases some of the best talent of the British screen like no other of its kind. Noel Coward, who was a colossal figure in the East End stage, is seen as Capt. Kinross, the man at the helm of the Torrin. His wife is played by Celia Johnson, one of the best actresses of her generation, and who later would go to collaborate with Mr. Coward in what must be, perhaps, one of the best achievements in the English cinema, "Brief Encounter".

In supporting roles we see a young John Mills playing Shorty Blake. Bernard Miles is seen as the kind Walter Hardy. His wife Katherine is portrayed by Joyce Carey, another excellent character actress who was always a welcome presence in any film in which she appeared. Kay Walsh, Michael Wilding, Daniel Massey seen as a young boy, and the baby Juliet Mills also appear in the film.

"In Which We Serve" is still a pleasure to watch because it shows the valor of the men called to defend their country.

"In Which We Serve" is not only a wonderful pastiche of British society during the second world war, but a complex, yet correct statement of a very simple theme -namely the duty of a country's citizens to defend the system it believes in. The simplicity of the story is one of the movie's key strengths, but the most appealing aspect of the film is, for me at least, the way in which each scene reflects the preceding and suggests the subsequent one. The motivation behind this may have been to demonstrate the unifying elements of the various different characters and their individual stories, but the skill with which this is done makes for a wonderfully satisfying experience. The film is excellently crafted, moving from a semi-documentary style that would have been instantly recognizable to cinema audiences of the forties, with the then common weekly news reviews; and then moving into everything from light-comedy to exciting action and pure drama. It is a film that for many will seem old-fashioned, but only in some of its sentiments, never its techniques or its wisdom. And the "old-fashionedness" of some of it -such as the love scene between John Mills and his girlfriend on the bench by the water- has a poignancy that is nevertheless almost painful in its innocence. Above all the film expresses one immensely important concern: dignity. It is reflected in the words and actions of all the characters, and shines through the film with the immense pride the film-makers (Noel Coward especially) put into making this film. It is an important film not least because it is not afraid of expressing loss -for many the thought of a film about a sinking British ship was a shocking risk to take in a time of war. And it is an entertaining film as well, in the best tradition of British cinema. Like the other main Coward/Lean masterpiece "Brief Encounter" this film can be enjoyed on so many levels that it demands multiple viewings. And like "Brief Encounter" you will discover new subtleties each time...

In Which We Serve (1942)

A curiously different and really moving film about World War II, directed by two top British talents, Noel Coward and David Lean. It's filmed in the thick of the actual naval war and so might be unofficially called a propaganda film. (Though not made by the government, there was a lot of influence and assistance.). It clearly has a sense of presenting the British war effort at its best. But it's also complicated, filled with sadness alongside heroism and, perhaps most of all, selflessness. Both by soldiers and by their women left behind. The war in 1942 was not looking great for the Brits.

Coward co-directs but also is the leading man, and he's an established actor from both film and stage at this point. Lean, whose huge career as a director is all ahead of him, is in charge of the action sequences and this is his first attempt at directing--for which he won awards. If there is a sentimental side to some of the Coward directed scenes it's partly because of when it was shot. Try to imagine the audience suffering from bombings and having their loved ones in battle. We see it now with very different eyes.

In fact, it is hard to imagine how a wife or mother could watch this at all. The basic structure is that the ship goes out to sea with a bunch of men and then disaster strikes, and the rest of the movie is a series of flashbacks to the home lives of the men, and to the women who are dreading seeing their men go off to sea. It's actually about the very sadness of the people sitting in the audience.

The filming is rather different between the two directors. Coward understands a traditional kind of culture well, with conversation and interpersonal nuance. Lean captures a more direct emotional energy, and lots of vivid action. Normally two directors means problems, but here it's divided naturally.

Eventually the movie wears its formula, back and forth with flashbacks, pretty hard. But it's so well done you don't much mind. An emotional, finely seen movie, and surprisingly valid even now.