As a long time fan of sea stories, I’ve watched any submarine movie I can get hold of. This one was recommended to me by Don_Krider, who said I ought to see it since I like the genre so much. Thanks, Don, this one’s for you.

Just released on DVD, The Bedford Incident concerns the naval Destroyer USS Bedford on a routine patrol in the Denmark Strait near the Arctic Circle. This is the Cold War era, where Soviets and Americans alike suspect each other of triggering nuclear war at any moment. The Bedford is a high tech marvel of modern science capable of “doing more damage in ten minutes than the entire US Navy did during WWII.” The words prove prophetic…

As George Orwell noted, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Such a man is Captain Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark), skipper of the Bedford.

Finlander, true to the mold of all good naval commanders, is a tireless martinet who puts his men through unceasing drills and maneuvers, forging them into a well-oiled machine that operates automatically. There are two new arrivals on the Bedford, a doctor, Martin Balsam, and a magazine reporter Sidney Poitier. These two characters stand in for the audience and allow explanations to be given for actions that would otherwise prove unfathomable to an onlooker.

The Bedford’s mission is deterrence - to find enemy submarines trying to invade NATO space and drive them off. She is loaded with electronic surveillance gear and armed with the latest ASROC - rocket assisted torpedoes.

Anybody who remembers the old television fantasy series like The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits will enjoy the storyline of The Bedford Incident. For those who haven’t seen the old TV shows, they had a fantastic but plausible story, well filmed, often with an ironic twist ending.

The Bedford detects a Soviet submarine violating Greenland territorial waters. With all its scientific gear and Finlander’s intuition, they are able to stay atop the sub and keep it from vanishing. The sub is the latest class of Soviet technology, heavily armed but capable of staying submerged only 24 hours according to the technical adviser, Commodore Shrepke, West German Navy, a former U-boat commander under the Third Reich. Finlander decides to stay atop the sub and force it to the surface and most of the film concerns that harrowing 24 hours were the men are kept at battle stations feverishly monitoring their instruments.

While The Bedford Incident bears inevitable comparison to the other Cold War - nuclear holocaust films like Dr. Strangelove or Fail Safe, I see it as a retelling of Moby Dick with Captain Finlander as Captain Ahab and the submarine as the whale. The parallels are all there. The driven purpose of the captain, the terror of the crew, the one innocent person to tell the tale (Poitier), and the destruction of all due to the captain’s madness that infects the entire crew.

Richard Widmark does probably the finest performance of his career as the maniacal, frightening Captain Finlander. Sidney Poitier also does a great job with the less demanding role of the correspondent. Martin Balsam, as the failed doctor, shows the great ability he always displays as a supporting actor, and Eric Portman does a bang up job as the German Naval attache who is with the hounds but whose heart is with the fox.

The Bedford Incident is presented in 1.85: 1 widescreen format and is in black and white, which is in keeping with the gray morality of the tale. English subtitles are included, which I always find a plus.

Highly recommended. Those who enjoy good sea stories will also want to see Run Silent, Run Deep, Das Boot and The Enemy Below. Of course, Moby Dick, with Gregory Peck is a must-see. The nuclear terror film that you’ll want to see if you are a fan of that genre is Dr. Strangelove.

Happy viewing!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening