VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

ken613uk I have just seen the film for the umpteenth time and of course the facts as portrayed in the film are not always a true reflection of the actual reports of the raid. Incidents that are shown as the interior of a submarine that was destroyed can be nothing other than fiction. Some of the episodes were factually correct therefore I find that the comment by mailmartinbuckley regarding the scene where Donald Sinden fends off a mine with his feet was misplaced. It was a recreation of the incident where Lt.B.C.G Place from X7 did exactly that. If he refers to bbc.co.uk/history and enters "Tirpitz" he can read the account of the raid by Dr.Eric Grove, a naval historian

James Hitchcock "Above us the Waves" is based upon the same formula which had proved so successful with "The Dambusters" a couple of years earlier. A small group of intrepid British servicemen, assisted by some innovative technology, set out to destroy a vital, heavily defended German target. Against the odds they succeed, but not without suffering some tragic losses. And yet "The Dambusters" is today, rightly, regarded as one of Britain's greatest war films, whereas "Above us the Waves" is little remembered.The film tells the story of "Operation Source", the attack in September 1943 by X-class midget submarines against the German battleship "Tirpitz". By 1943, in fact, the "Tirpitz" was something of a white elephant. Following the sinking of the "Bismarck" by British torpedo bombers in 1941, Hitler was reluctant to risk losing another battleship, and the "Tirpitz" remained anchored in a Norwegian fjord for most of the war, only making three sorties and never firing a shot against an enemy ship. The potential threat she posed to Allied convoys, however, meant that considerable British naval resources had to be diverted from other duties in order to counter that threat, which is why numerous attempts were made to sink her. Contrary to the impression given by this film, the "Tirpitz" was not permanently disabled by the submarine attacks, although the damage they caused took about six months to repair. She was finally sunk by RAF Lancaster bombers in November 1944.One interesting feature of the film is the way the Germans are portrayed. Many British films made during the war itself simply depicted all Germans as evil thugs; "The Day Will Dawn", also set in occupied Norway, is a good example, and Pressburger and Powell's "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" an honourable exception. Here some stereotypes remain; the German sailors generally communicate in a series of short, staccato shouts, in line with the common British received idea that the German language is not so much spoken as barked. (The British characters, by contrast, all speak in normal tones, even when giving orders). The Germans, however, do have their decent side; captured British sailors are greeted with mugs of schnapps and the German captain pays tribute to their bravery even after they have damaged his ship. Possibly this change reflects the fact that by 1955 West Germany was a key British ally in the Cold War.I think that one reason why "Above us the Waves" suffers in comparison with "The Dambusters" (apart from the fact that musically it has nothing to compare with Eric Coates' magnificent march) is that submarine warfare does not translate into exciting action sequences as well as aerial warfare. Or, for that matter, as well as surface naval warfare; I would rank the film behind not only "The Dambusters" but also "Sink the Bismarck!", made five years later about the sinking of "Tirpitz"'s sister ship. Most successful submarine films ("Run Silent, Run Deep", "Das Boot", "Crimson Tide", "K-19 The Widowmaker") are not so much action movies as character-driven psychological dramas. Unfortunately, the makers of "Above us the Waves" did not seem very interested in either character or psychology. There is little attempt at characterisation beyond superficial stereotyping (cheerful Cockney, cheerful Aussie, cheerful Irishman, dour Scot, etc.) and no attempt at psychological depth beyond the sort of stiff-upper-lip stoicism that was often assumed by film-makers of this period to be the habitual demeanour of the British serviceman.The leader of the raid (here called Commander Fraser) is played by John Mills, an actor who never seemed very military in bearing but spent much of his career playing members of His Majesty's Armed Forces, from the humble private in "Waterloo Road" all the way up to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in "Oh! What a Lovely War!" Neither he, however, nor any of the other cast members succeeds in bringing much individuality to their roles. Some post-war British war films (and some American ones too) have become classics, but "Above us the Waves" is simply a routine, and rather dull, flagwaving tale of How We Won the War. 5/10

ian1000 Made during the austere 1950s (for us in the UK) with the usual British humour to lighten the grim events. Wonderful to see James Robertson-Justice not as a grumpy surgeon but as a grumpy admiral who manages to smile when he realises his ship has been 'attacked' by the heroes of the tale (to prove their merit). I wonder how accurate that part is? The incredible bravery of the men in the midget subs is well rendered, and one can forgive the film makers of the time - so soon after the war - for the German stereotypes on the Tirpitz, yet their Captain salutes the "brave men" who have arrived to attack his boat.A wonderful British war movie!

ianlouisiana It is instructive to watch fifty years on how the Allies portrayed their victorious armed forces on the screen.The United States were represented by the cigar chomping ,helmet askew,grizzled flinty eyed G.I.dishing out chewing gum to snotty- nosed kids all over the world, The Russians sad - faced country boys,pale and sensitive,hating the Germans of course,but very keen on watching birds - particularly cranes apparently.The French dapper and sophisticated even a little effete but certainly hating the Germans.The Australians rowdy and undisciplined but murderous and hating everybody foreign.And the Brits....ah,the Brits. Inspired amateurs,a mixture of coal miners,shopkeepers,City gents,farmers and barrow boys somehow magically intermingled to produce a bloody - minded fighting man with occasional flashes of genius and and absolute refusal to even consider defeat. Such was the make up of the submariner in general and the midget submariner in particular. "Above us the waves" tells of the exploits of the brave men who sailed deep into the Norwegian fjords to confront the "Tirpitz",scourge of the convoys.Having convinced a sceptical Admiralty in the person of Mr James Robertson Justice that such an attack had at least a small chance of succeeding,Mr John Mills leads his crews quietly and with the minimum of flag - waving to the target where they plant explosives under the keel of the ship.Despite being captured and taken on board Mr Mills and his men stay silent under questioning and the resulting detonation severely damages the "Tirpitz",putting it out of action for six months. Mr John Gregson and his crew are not so lucky and perish in the icy water. This is not a Bruce Wills blockbuster,nobody yells "Yippee - aye - ay motherxxxxxxx" at the enemy,there aren't many bangs for your buck and the special effects aren't up to much.The Germans are played as more or less mirror - images of the Brits and the mutual respect is apparent. "Above us the waves" is a low - key film with subdued performances. War isn't depicted as big boys' game,these men are in deadly danger and fully aware of it.To carry on quietly and,yes,bloody - mindedly if you like.......now that's real courage for you.