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In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

Posted By: Someonelse
Date: 11 Nov 2011 12:57:00
In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]
A Film by David Lean and Noel Coward
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 4:3 | 01:49:56 | 6,97 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
Genre: Drama, War | Nominated for 2 Oscars | UK

This is the story of a British Naval ship, HMS Torrin, from its construction to its sinking in the Mediterranean during action in World War II. The ship's first and only commanding officer is the experienced Captain E.V. Kinross who trains his men not only to be loyal to him but to the country and most importantly, to themselves. They face challenges at sea and also at home. They lose some of their shipmates in action and some of their loved ones in the devastation that is the blitz. Throughout it all, the men of the Torrin serve valiantly and heroically.

IMDB

In Which We Serve (1942) was one of the most effective wartime British morale-boosters; it went a long way in defining the mood of Britain during the darkest days of the war, and celebrating the people's courage, teamwork, and devotion to duty, King, and Country. The film came about when Noel Coward - long-time fixture of the British stage and a friend to dignitaries up to and including Churchill -decided to throw his considerable clout into the propaganda effort. Easily one of the ultimate statements in British stiff-upper-lip stoicism, In Which We Serve proved to be a resounding success for the multi-hyphenate Coward. Significantly, the film also provided David Lean with his first directing credit, following years as an editor.

In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

In Which We Serve was partially based on an actual disaster in the Royal Navy, and employed a semi-documentary style and a striking flashback structure in the storytelling. German torpedoes sink the British destroyer, HMS Torrin, and several survivors struggle to an inflatable lifeboat. While Luftwaffe planes crisscross the ocean and strafe the men, three of the survivors recall their time aboard the ship and their families at home. Seaman Shorty Blake (John Mills) thinks of his courtship with Freda (Kay Walsh). Chief Petty Officer Hardy (Bernard Miles) recalls his wife Katherine (Joyce Carey), bravely standing up to the London blitz. Capt. Edward Kinross (Coward) himself thinks back on his family - especially his wife Alix (Celia Johnson), who knew that she would always have a rival for her husband's attentions -the Torrin. The writing and playing in the domestic scenes are quintessentially British; while the mannerisms of the various couples depicted may all be differentiated by class, they nevertheless share a common trait - all put on a game face and unhesitatingly put duty before the pursuit of personal happiness.

In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

Noel Coward produced In Which We Serve, co-directed, co-wrote the screenplay, composed the musical score, and played the leading role. By all accounts, Coward became easily bored wearing the director's hat, and left the majority of those chores to his co-director. That co-director was one of the most respected editors in the British film industry, David Lean -it was his first official credit following some uncredited work on George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara (1941). In addition to the many scenes of domestic life and family relationships, there are also several contrasting action scenes as the Torrin and her crew engage in fierce battles with the enemy. These scenes were comprised of a combination of actual war footage cut together with shots of elaborate studio miniatures.

In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

The events which drive In Which We Serve are loosely based on the experiences of Coward's personal friend Lord Louis Mountbatten, Captain of the destroyer HMS Kelly, which was sunk in the battle of Crete in May, 1941. The film was a showcase for a number of leading British actors, and was the notable debut of Richard Attenborough. Though he was uncredited, Attenborough had a sizable and memorable part as the only sailor who fled his post in the heat of battle, as the Torrin fought off the coast of Norway. Also turning up in her film debut is one-year-old Juliet Mills, appropriately enough appearing in the arms of her father John, as the child of Shorty Blake.
Turner Movie Classics
In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

Noel Coward performed with unexpected brilliance here as co-director, writer, musical composer, and star of this stirring WWII drama. Presented in a series of poignant and revealing vignettes, the film tells the story of the British destroyer Torrin and its crew, commanded by Capt. Kinross (Coward), a father figure for his stalwart men. Constructed like a documentary, IN WHICH WE SERVE is also narrated by Coward, who recounts the ship's heroic actions: hit by torpedoes, it survives and is towed back to England, later participating in the Dunkirk evacuation and in naval battles off Crete, where it is dive-bombed and sinks. Kinross and his crew cling to a raft for hours, and while waiting for rescue, remember their loved ones in a series of flashbacks.

In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

Regarded as noble and understated at the time, IN WHICH WE SERVE now comes across as patronizing and riven with class condescension. But to Coward's credit (he recieved a special Oscar "for his outstanding production achievement"), he had the good sense to choose the most distinguished film editor in England at the time, David Lean, to assist with the production; and so impressive was Lean's work that, halfway through the picture, Coward handed him the directorial reins. Out of respect, Lean's next three productions–THIS HAPPY BREED; BLITHE SPIRIT; and BRIEF ENCOUNTER–were adaptations of Coward's writing. SERVE marked the film debuts of Johnson, Massey and baby Mills.
TV Guide
In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]

Special Features:
- 25 minute exclusive documentary 'A Profile of In Which We Serve'
- Behind the scenes stills gallery
- Theatrical trailer
In Which We Serve (1942) [Special Edition]


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