WE DIVE AT DAWN is a sedate British wartime thriller that lacks the kind of suspense I find that the best movies in this genre possess. It's a submarine picture in which a crew have their leave cancelled in order that they might pursue a brand-new German battleship, the act of which will have huge propaganda value for the British government.
This is quite a low key production made on a smaller budget than usual, as expected for a film made contemporaneously with the war itself. John Mills is his usual reliable self in the main role and the main cast is littered with the usual familiar faces and well-judged character turns. But I found the pace flags and the narrative never really grips as it should, instead feeling like a bit of a slog even though there's nothing really wrong with it. At least it picks up in the last ten minutes...
This is quite a low key production made on a smaller budget than usual, as expected for a film made contemporaneously with the war itself. John Mills is his usual reliable self in the main role and the main cast is littered with the usual familiar faces and well-judged character turns. But I found the pace flags and the narrative never really grips as it should, instead feeling like a bit of a slog even though there's nothing really wrong with it. At least it picks up in the last ten minutes...