Sink the Bismarck (1960)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by Edmund H. North, based on the book by C.S. Forrester
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Starring Kenneth Moore, Dana Wynter, Carl Mohner, Laurence Naismith, and Karel Stepaneck

Features:

• Original Theatrical Trailer
  
• MovieTone News Reel
  

Released by: Fox Home Entertainment
Rating: NR (suitable for all audiences)
Region: 1
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: Rent it

In the early days of World War II, the German Navy designed and built the ultimate battleship and named it--what else--the Bismarck. They claimed it was unsinkable because it was designed to perfection. It did manage to destroy several Allied ships before it was finally brought down, which took the combined efforts of the United States and the British Navy to sink it. This movie chronicles the launching of that ship, its destructive power, and its own eventual destruction.

Contrary to popular belief, this was not a holdover of the so-called "propaganda films" that was put out during World War II. This film was released in 1960 and did everything it could to stay true to the true story, including showing both sides of the conflict. The filmmakers understood that there was still a very negative view of the Germans, especially the Nazis. After all, it was only fifteen years after the end of the war, right? Well, anyway, this film stays very true to the story and still manages to be entertaining at the same time.

That having been said, some of the performances in the movie are a little forced. Some of the German accents seemed to slide in and out from time to time, but for the most part, everyone understood their part and stayed true to it. Make no mistake, this movie is all about the naval battle scenes and it does not disappoint. They are fantastic.

This DVD is a little short on bonus material, but what there is very good. All you really get is the original trailer for the film, and for posterity's sake, I'm glad they added it to the disc. You also get the MovieTone Newsreel that tells of the sinking of the ship. It's really short, but it's a great addition to the disc. I'm sorry that they didn't add some kind of documentary either about the film or the actual events on which the film is based. There's got to be some already-in-the-can docu or featurette out there on this subject. Or there's a great way to get a commentary track going: bring in some historians to discuss the subject matter along with what Hollywood got right and wrong. Those are always fascinating additions, but alas--nothing like that here.

As it stands, though, you'll really just want to rent it. That is, unless you are a huge fan of history, or war movies from this period; then you might consider buying it.