In Which We Serve

1942 "You'll Never Forget... In Which We Serve"
7.2| 1h55m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 23 December 1942 Released
Producted By: Two Cities Films
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

The story of the HMS Torrin, from its construction to its sinking in the Mediterranean during action in World War II. The ship's first and only commanding officer is Captain E.V. Kinross, who trains his men not only to be loyal to him and the country, but—most importantly—to themselves.

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Reviews

Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System
Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Prismark10 Noel Coward was a toff, one of those elitists who believed they were born to rule and lord it over the lower classes.In his biography Coward was rather upset with the Labour landslide of 1945, not a surprise. It would had hurt him to see the working classes get a taste of power but it also shows how he fundamentally failed to understand the attitude of the British people after all they had endured through the second world war.This is a flag waving propaganda film that Coward co-directed with David Lean. Coward's portrayal of Captain Kinross, commander of the destroyer HMS Torrin is based on the experiences of Lord Mountbatten on the HMS Kelly. Mountbatten was another elitist toff who after the war, royally messed up as the last viceroy of India.In Which We Serve tells the story of several crew members of the Torrin's personal lives in flashback after it has been sunk in the Mediterranean. It is meant to show steely resolve, the stiff upper lip from both the crew and their families. Only Richard Attenborough's cowardly sailor lets the side down.It is a stiff and starch film but rather unsentimental. The film was critically lauded and regarded as a classic but now looks aged and of its era. The story is too thin and Coward, who always loved a sailor was a stiff actor.
TheLittleSongbird First time watching In Which We Serve, it struck me as a very good film, though with some draggy moments in the first half, some of the clipped dialogue seeming stilted and Noël Coward seemed a little stiff at first. Re-watching again as part of a David Lean marathon, In Which We Serve held up much better on re-watch.It does drag still a tad in the first half-hour or so, but the initial problems had with some of the dialogue and Coward at first weren't apparent this time. The script- courtesy of Coward- this time around was very nuanced and stirring, the speeches could easily have been too preachy, and instead what the film has to say is told in an intelligent, poignant and sometimes uplifting way. Coward's initial stiffness struck me on re-watch as something that suited the character, who was written as quite dour at first anyway, and it is a very authoritative, caring and moving lead performance on the whole, his HMS Torin speech is a classic and if the lower lip doesn't tremble (or more) during his incredibly emotional farewell I'm not sure what will.Coward is wonderfully supported by the rest of the cast, especially from the shimmering film debut of Celia Johnson, a sympathetic Bernard Miles and John Mills in one of his better Lean film performances. Richard Attenborough (who never looked so young than in this film) also makes his screen debut, and a memorably powerful one it is too. The story is riveting, often thoroughly entertaining and immensely moving, notably Coward's farewell and the men from Dunkirk being unloaded at portside. Who can't help love the values that it shows too? Coward was aiming to inspire, and he definitely succeeds. His co-direction with Lean works just fine, with his more nuanced style contrasting well with Lean's more vivid action style.In Which We Serve is beautifully filmed in sumptuous black and white, the Royal Navy details and settings being more than convincing, and Coward also provides a stirring and hauntingly beautiful music score. Overall, a great and very moving film and much more than just wartime propaganda (a distinction more suited to something like Dangerous Moonlight). 9/10 Bethany Cox
rhinocerosfive-1 Opportunities to see Noel Coward recite Noel Coward were necessarily inhibited by his death, but he has left among his filmed artifacts this stunning little achievement, perhaps the quietest war film, probably the most British. To be sure, it veers maudlin once or twice, and the whole production is suffused with the blood of righteousness - but not self-righteousness. This is the kind of movie that makes me want to join the Navy, I who get seasick in the bath.How does a middle-aged homosexual song-and-dance man support the war effort? By producing a bang-up answer to Wyler and Ford, a vivid recruitment poster for the side of decency and respect. Brutal, tender, horrible, and full of hope, IN WHICH WE SERVE sings the victory song of both shellfire and home fire without mention of glory or distinction. Noel Coward's acting is a marvel of disinterested conviction. Nobody could speak faster, or with more precision, and that with the stiffest of upper lips.No one wrote dialog at once so arch and comfortable, either, except maybe Kipling. Coward celebrates the most sophisticated level of civilization, the blithe, eloquent man of society who has managed not to become jaded. He embraces his England with a respectfully familiar pinch on the cheek, and he kisses her with the most restrained of passions in front of the children. But he also loves with all his heart the simple proletarian bedrock, and he allows the working classes to display as much humanity and emotion as he denies his own character.There is much stage-like, not to say stagey, in the production, which shouldn't be very surprising given its principal antecedents. The film is sometimes expressionistic in design, the angles and sets a terrifying collage of unsettling, theatrical images in contrast to the reassuring tea cozy and the ramrod-straight captain on the quarterdeck. The symbols are profoundly simple and the effect is disarmingly true. As Coward says over a drink, "Perfect; it's not a bit too sweet." Well, it is rather, but mix another pitcher of Bovril and sherry and don't complain, there's a good chap.
Jackson Booth-Millard Directed by David Lean (The Bride on the River Kwai) and Noel Coward (also starring), both making their directorial debuts, this is quite a good British war film. It is a film that combines war ship battles and character flashbacks. Basically the British destroyer ship, HMS Torrin is attacked by the Nazis, and is sinking slowly, and as the surviving members of the British ship cling to a life raft, they have flashbacks both of the (familiy) live they have left behind, and their work in the army and on the ship before the attack. Starring Coward as Capt. Edward V. Kinross, Sir John Mills as Ordinary Seaman Shorty Blake, The Man Who Knew Too Much's Bernard Miles as CPO Walter Hardy, Brief Encounter's Celia Johnson as Alix Kinross, Kay Walsh as Freda Lewis, Joyce Carey as Katherine Lemmon Hardy; Derek Elphinstone as First Lieutenant, the 'Torrin' (Number One); Michael Wilding as 'Flags', Second Lieutenant; Robert Sansom as 'Guns', Gunnery Officer; Philip Friend as 'Torps', Torpedo Officer, Ballard Berkeley as Engineer Commander, James Donald as Ship's doctor, Michael Whittaker as Sub and Lord Sir Richard Attenborough (in his film debut) as Snotty, Midshipman Who Leaves Post. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Writing, Original Screenplay, with a special Honorary Award for Coward. Sir John Mills was number 38 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, and the film was number 57 on The 100 Greatest War Films. Very good!