The Valiant

I have long admired Roy Ward Baker's uncluttered directing style. THE VALIANT presents further evidence thereof. He makes the most of the rather claustrophobic atmosphere arising from filming within the confines of a British Navy vessel.

The acting, in particular by John Mills, Robert Shaw and Ettore Manni, is extremely believable, truly first rate.

The one aspect of the film that impressed me least - in fact even annoyed me - was the script. I realize that the film was probably made on the basis of some real incident in a Royal Navy vessel, but the same ideas are flogged to death, the Britis trying to find out where the limpet mine was placed and when it would explode, and the Italian POWs refusing to give that info.

Mills (playing Capt Morgan) delivers solidly as ship skipper trying to save the vessel and the human lives on it, but his determination to keep a wounded Italian away from hospital treatment so that he too would feel the bomb threat detracts from the sympathy that someone in his position would normally attract.

Anyway, it is worth watching. 6/10.