Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

shakercoola This is a story about a sea battle and the gallant heroism of both the British Navy and the German Captain Langsdorff. The theme is, while two nations were at war, individuals have much in common. The setting then involves the coastline of Uruguay and its people anticipating an end battle between the two belligerents while intrigue and strategy plays out between British naval attachés and Uruguay government officials. It's not a complete story but it throws light on military bravery away from the distant ugly Nazi ideology.

l_rawjalaurence THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE, a docu-drama on the sinking of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee, represents an interesting marriage of talents. One the one hand the film is written and directed by the Powell-Pressburger team, a fact that ensures that its quality is lifted above the run-of-the-mill war films of the period. Whereas films such as REACH FOR THE SKY (also 1956) focused on notions of British heroism under overwhelming odds, THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE looks at the experiences of those involved in conflict at sea, whether British or German. On the other hand the cast contains just about every leading male actor of the period - a prime example of the Rank Organization's doomed attempt to replicate the star-laden productions popular in Hollywood at that time. Sometimes the experience of watching the film becomes an exercise in actor-recognition: Peter Finch, Anthony Quayle, John Gregson and Ian Hunter all have leading roles, supported by stalwart character actors such as Bernard Lee, Michael Goodliffe and David Farrar (as the narrator), with John le Mesurier turning up in a cameo role. Nonetheless THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE is worth watching, not least because of its balanced treatment of both sides involved in the conflict. We learn a lot about Captain Langdsorff's (Finch's( qualities at the helm of the Graf Spee; he is not only an adept sailor, but he knows how to treat British prisoners-of-war fairly. His character seems more sympathetic as compared with (say) Quayle's more bluff British Commodore Harwood. In terms of special effects the battle-sequences seem a little primitive as compared to today's epics, but the characterization and plotting remain as sharp and incisive as in other Powell/Pressburger movies.

robinsdh If I could give it no stars, I would. A waste of two hours of viewing. The ships didn't look much like actual participants. Even Achilles didn't remind me of Achilles! Wrong number of guns and turrets on all other participants. And the Graf Spee wasn't anything like the Graf Spee. Had two turrets, here three and clearly not German. What was wrong with models? Film drags. Battle ridiculous. Only saw the British side the entire scene except for the captured British seamen on board Graf Spee--and that's still just the British side of the story. After the sorry battle there's still forty minutes of virtually nothing. You won't learn anything of the poor German captain's fate from this movie either.

JohnWelles "The Battle of the River Plate" (1956) is Powell and Pressburger's most underrated movie. Set in 1939, its about the British navy trying to capture "The Graf Spee" pursued by the "HMS Ajax", "HMS Exeter" and "HMS Achilles".Most people say it is not up to the standard as, say, "A Matter of Life and Death", but I disagree. As it is not one of the more wider known parts of World War Two, it makes the first half tense and exciting. But its the second half, when "The Graf Spee" hides in a neutral port where it kicks into high gear. The whole place reeks of atmosphere, unequalled in any over Powell and Pressburger film. As I have said before, a very underrated movie, that is well worth watching.