Pursuit of the Graf Spee
1956 · Movie · NR · 119 min · ★ 6.4 · 77% critics
Early in World War II, a German warship threatens vital Atlantic supply routes by hunting merchant vessels. A small Royal Navy force races to track it down, leading to a tense naval showdown and a high-stakes standoff in a neutral South American port where diplomacy and strategy become as important as firepower.
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Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and ScreenPix.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- The Battle of the River Plate
- Years
- 1956
- Release date
- 1956-10-30
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Critic score
- 77/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (70 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a straightforward, old-school WWII naval story with strategy, diplomacy, and a restrained tone, similar to 49th Parallel or The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp; Not for you if you need nonstop action or modern pacing.
Pros: gripping early naval action; strong ensemble performances; vivid period atmosphere | Cons: slow Uruguay stretch; uneven effects today; stiff, talky scenes
Themes
- atlantic ocean
- world war ii
- royal navy
- naval warfare
- german navy
- montevideo, uruguay
Cast & crew
John Gregson
as Captain Bell - H.M.S. Exeter
Anthony Quayle
as Commodore Harwood - H.M.S. Ajax
Ian Hunter
as Captain Woodhouse - H.M.S. Ajax
Jack Gwillim
as Captain Parry - H.M.N. Z. S. Achilles
Bernard Lee
as Captain Dove - M.S. Africa Shell
Lionel Murton
as Mike Fowler
Anthony Bushell
as Sir Millington Drake, British Minister, Montevideo
Peter Illing
as Dr. Guani, Foreign Minister, Uruguay
Michael Goodliffe
as Captain McCall, R.N., British Naval Attache, Buenos Aires
Patrick Macnee
as Lieutenant Commander Medley, R.N.
Directed by Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell