THE VALIANT
UK, 1962, 90 minutes, Black and white.
John Mills, Ettore Manni, Roberto Risso, Robert Shaw, Liam Redmond, Ralph Michael, John Meillon, Patrick Barr, Laurence Naismith.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker.
The Valiant is a little-seen British war film – based on an Italian play. The focus is on two Italians who mine a British ship in a harbour – with the British then capturing them and trying to find out what their mission was. The film is less of an action film than a dramatic confrontation.
John Mills is the captain of the ship with Robert Shaw as his lieutenant. There is a good supporting British cast which also includes John Meillon.
The film was directed by Roy Ward Baker who had a long career in British film-making starting in the late 40s with The October Man with John Mills. He had a brief time making Hollywood films: The House in the Square, Inferno, Don’t Bother to Knock with Marilyn Monroe. However, he returned to England and made interesting films in the late 50s including A Night to Remember and The One That Got Away. However, his career was mainly in television.
1. Was this an interesting film, suspenseful?
2. Was it obvious that the film was based on a play? How did the film rely on gaining audience interest? The romantic structure of the Valiant, the Italians, the on-shore decisions? Was the film a successful cinematic presentation of a play?
3. The impact of the war background? The danger of war in 1941? The impact of war in 1961? The impact of World War II and such issues now? Where are the differences, why?
4. Did the film explore major war issues? The role of sabotage, the role of the battle ships, the nature of enmity and hostility, the rules of war, prisoners of war, silence under threat, the nature of threats, the reality of decisions about life and death, obeying orders, not thinking but obeying superior officers, etc? Were the issues presented clearly, well?
5. The function of the captain? Could audiences identify with him? His need to be shrewd and quick? The possibility of cruelty as regards the prisoners’ wounds?
The weight of decisions about the ship and the men? Did he act correctly?
6. How well did the film balance the roles of the Italians and the British? The initial Italians sequences? The use of Italian dialogue? The ordinariness of the Italian sailors, their mission, talk about the baby, their being shot, the heroism of their silence, their talking with one another? How did this compare with the usual film presentation of the British on a similar kind of mission? How well was the similarity pointed during the film?
7. The character of Field; his work in the ship, the background of his Italian wife, his becoming involved in the interrogation, the conflict of personal warmth and the war effort, his decision to stay aboard? Was he a real character or a figure for the drama?
8. The importance of the sailors on the watch, the humor, their ordinariness, their not knowing what was going on, the balance between them and the Italian sailors?
9. The portrayal of the Admiral and the on-shore decisions?
10. The visualising of the 'abandon ship’ and the impact of this? Was this the only thing to do?
11. The importance of incidental characters for atmosphere and character conflict; the medical orderly, the padre, the commander?
12. How successful was the device of the Captain overhearing the Italian convers¬ation? Was this too contrived or was it worked in effectively?
13. The effectiveness of the deception of the Italian reconnaissance planes? The effectiveness in the war effort?
14. Was this an interesting and effective war film? An ordinary one? A minor film?
