THEY WHO DARE
UK, 1953, 107 minutes, Colour.
Dirk Bogarde, Denholm Elliott, Akim Tamiroff, Gerard Oury, Eric Pohlmann.
Directed by Lewis Milestone.
They Who Dare is a routine war story, one of the many made in England during the first half of the 1950s as Britain relived the war and the heroics of different missions.
The situation in North Africa is explained at the opening, the fight against Rommel, the need for the destroying of Luftwaffe planes and airstrips in Greece and on the Greek islands. Dirk Bogarde, very stiff-upper-lipped and prone to shouting and dramatic overacting, leads a squad secretly into Greece. Denholm Elliott is his corporal, a kind of conscience as well as antagonist towards Bogarde. Akim Tamiroff is a Greek veteran.
The film follows the familiar routines of the landing of the group, the difficulties in getting through the terrain, the locals going back to the village, the blowing up of the planes, the decisions by the leader which endanger the lives of some of the men, the capture and imprisonment of the group, the heroism of the old veteran giving himself up to save the others, the desperate swimming out to sea to meet the submarine and the rendezvous.
The film is well done in its way, the cinematography of the Greek islands quite magnificent. Tribute is paid to the Lebanese Air Force for its help. Dirk Bogarde was at the beginning of his career as was Denholm Elliott and for many decades they were to be stalwarts of the British industry as well as building up international reputations. Direction is by Lewis Milestone who made quite a number of war films and won an Oscar in 1930 for All Quiet on the Western Front. During World War Two he made a number of films on the war including North Star, Purple Hearts and especially A Walk in the Sun. He also made the film about the Korean war, Pork Chop Hill.
1.Popular World War Two story? For British audiences of the 1950s? For later decades? A tribute?
2.The Cairo settings? The Greek islands? The beauty of the location photography? The villages, the mountains, the sea? Action sequences? The blowing up of the planes? The submarine rescue? The musical score?
3.The family of the plot: the situation of the war in North Africa, Rommel’s advance, the preparation for repelling him? The information about the Luftwaffe, the planes in Greece? The need for them to be destroyed? The platoon being organised, Graham and the choices? The carrying out of the mission, the difficulties, the betrayals, the dangers, the achievement, the escape, people being killed and arrested? The finale? How well did the film present this familiar pattern?
4.The Cairo situation, the clubs, the singers, ease, before war broke out? Graham and his friend? The possibilities of omission?
5.Graham’s personality, leadership, age and experience? His choosing the men? The discussions with Captain George One, Captain George Two? With the captain of the submarine? With the Greek guides? His personality, self-reflection, angers, decision-making, overdramatic, the clashes with Corcoran? The problems on the island, his handling them? The end, his concern about himself, leadership, enjoying the mission, endangering the men? The interchanges with Corcoran and Corcoran being his conscience?
6.Corcoran, the corporal, his comments, his dislike of Graham, his criticising him, obeying him, helping him at the end?
7.Captain George One, his experience, concealing his wound, his place in the mission, help, Greek, in the church? Hiding? His wound, giving himself up? Captain George Two, the loyalty, the Greeks and their knowledge, the capture?
8.The platoon, the various personalities, the Welsh, the interchanges? The loss of water? Hiding during the day? Travelling at night? Evading the Germans? The mission and its achievement? Deaths, arrests? The typical English heroes?
9.The Greek guides, their backgrounds, going into the village, the guide with his mother and sister, his return? The boys on the hills with the sheep? The village knowing that they were there, concealing them from the Germans? The boy playing his flute and bringing the sheep to hide Graham and Corcoran in the cave?
10.The Greek woman, the church, the fight, her ringing the bell and alerting the Germans?
11.The Germans, their place in the village, the occupation? The destruction of the planes? The pursuit, the captures? The Italians and their collaboration? The young Italian and his kicking his foot and hitting Graham’s face? The final pursuit to the beach?
12.The submarine captain, the rendezvous, the depth charges, the return, the rescue?
13.The popularity of this kind of film, the need for this kind of reliving of the war?
