White Squall

I quite agree that it is a Dead Poets Society set at sea. It is a mistake to classify it as an Action Movie. It's about building trust and group reliance with some action scenes. The development of mutual respect between the boys is quite believable The acting is excellent in all cases. As a Jeff Bridges fan, I was surprised I'd never heard of it before it appeared on late night TV. The last looks exchanged between the captain and his wife are about as good as they get. Not a really great movie but I found it well worthwhile as a non-fan of action movies.

I love this film, it about a bunch of boys who either get sent on this ship to get disciplined by their parents or some just choose to escape their lives, They take it for granted tho, they don't realise how much hard work it will be. The ship and their captain take them on a journey, a journey that will probably change their lives forever, facing their fears and coming to grips with their lives, they learn a lot and pull together as a team. A truly moving story and another great film by Ridley Scott. From struggles to strengths, this is an inspiring film to watch with many good actors, Jeff bridges is really good for this role playing a tough, wise teacher for the boys. I love this as it is based on a true story, it makes it even more moving.

I saw this film on TV for the first time last week. Although the story line was a little weak, the film sequences at sea were excellent, particularly the final storm (white squall) in which the boy actors portrayed the reality of the tragedy.

Jeff Bridges gave a good performance as the captain whose task was to instil discipline and develop the characters of the boys in his charge. However, some members of the crew were miscast.

I highly recommend this film.

With masterpieces like Alien, Blade Runner and the underrated, but superb, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, I am quite a big Ridley Scott fan. White Squall is something of a let down in comparison, but it certainly deserved more than a measly $10 million US gross at the box office. As you would expect from a Scott film it boasts his trademark lavish production quality and stunning photography. The sequences at sea at some of the most spectacular ever filmed as Scott revels in the rolling waves and lurching ship, convey the ferociousness at sea, even in fairly calm conditions like no other film I can recall. The story however is less successful and is essentially (and unusually unoriginal for a Scott movie) a Dead Poets' Society at sea, as a motley crew of young boys, played by a talented and convincing set youngsters, do a lot of growing during the course of the voyage under the watchful eye of an Ahab-esque but eventually sympathetic Jeff Bridges. The final scene most definitely resembles that of Dead Poets' Society. (Captain. My Captain). However the film as a whole never bores and makes for compulsive viewing at times particularly the superb storm of the title, that is both moving as well technical tour de force.

I would say that "White Squall" deserves more credit than it got when it was released. Portraying several young men and their captain (Jeff Bridges) going sailing and encountering a devastating storm, the movie really holds you. Never getting preachy about friendship and never turning into a silly action flick, it's a movie that knows how to tell a story. Another good addition to Ridley Scott's filmography. And that one scene with the Dutch school girl...hubba hubba! On another note, this movie was my introduction to Ryan Phillippe, who plays one of the young men (although his name didn't enter my vocabulary until I saw "I Know What You Did Last Summer"). Also starring are John Savage, Jeremy Sisto (Billy on "Six Feet Under"), Ethan Embry and Zeljko Ivanek. Certainly worth seeing.

I have to admit, I would never want to go sailing. Too many bad things seem to happen.