Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) is a leisurely movie, giving the story a lot of time to infuse character into the folks who are important: the gruff, elderly master of a whaling ship, his grandson whose parents are gone, and the first mate chosen by the ship’s owners to be the new master.
This is a movie about rules, when rules are made to be broken, and when rules are made to be followed – and why. In this, it’s a classic lesson story, illustrating the pivotal points of behavior for those who are in charge and responsible to the greater whole.
The climax, a run-in with an iceberg and the sacrifices the master and crew must make to survive, is quite well done and, while perhaps predictable, is nevertheless riveting.
But there was some odd element to it that left me uncompelled. I’m not sure what it might be, as it was certainly technically a fine example of the craft, and the acting was convincing. Perhaps the fault lies in the audience, conditioned to expect some extraordinary personality to take charge, while this was more the story of seemingly real people, pursuing their crafts and raising family.
In any case, it’s an enjoyable, if not memorable, movie.
And what’s with this title? Down To The Sea in Go-Karts would have made just as much sense.
