Movies and Films
This is the forum for Movie and Film discussions. Again, our topic is naval warfare in WWII for the most part.
Re: 'Ghostboat'
Posted by:
John Griffiths
()
Date: June 14, 2006 09:44PM
I watched this a while back and have to say that it was an anti-cimax.
David Jason did attempt to make his part plausible - as the X chaser (navigator = navy slang) - but it sort of lost it when his RN 'guide' began to get nasty and become the ex CO........ A wee bit hung ho and decidely not plausible whatsoever!
As for the story line. Erm, the Soviets might be technologically backward (according to pro Western TV producers at least) but even they must have (well, yes, they actually do have ) our equal in undersea monitoring devices like ours strung across various bits of the ocean worldwide - and the fact that a diesel sub of WW2 vintage got so close to a moden Soviet naval base was frankly very realms-of-armchair-sailor fantasy. She'd have been blown out of the water within two minutes of entering the protection area!
Also, the 'Merchant Ship' used the the start of the series (where the sub surfaces) was not very well done was it? Most Soviet merchantmen I have been aboard have crews that a) are decidely scruffy b)unshaven and c) do not work to the 'Gospodin kapitan' form of address used there.....
The one thing they did get right was the attitude of the SNO's (Senior Naval Officers) portrayed.....that, reassuringly, seldom changes! 'Deny, deny and if questioned again, smile and continue to deny '. :-)
U-571 was used - they just tarted her up a bit to look like a British boat - unconvincingly so as there is no disguising German hull forms!
Jonty
David Jason did attempt to make his part plausible - as the X chaser (navigator = navy slang) - but it sort of lost it when his RN 'guide' began to get nasty and become the ex CO........ A wee bit hung ho and decidely not plausible whatsoever!
As for the story line. Erm, the Soviets might be technologically backward (according to pro Western TV producers at least) but even they must have (well, yes, they actually do have ) our equal in undersea monitoring devices like ours strung across various bits of the ocean worldwide - and the fact that a diesel sub of WW2 vintage got so close to a moden Soviet naval base was frankly very realms-of-armchair-sailor fantasy. She'd have been blown out of the water within two minutes of entering the protection area!
Also, the 'Merchant Ship' used the the start of the series (where the sub surfaces) was not very well done was it? Most Soviet merchantmen I have been aboard have crews that a) are decidely scruffy b)unshaven and c) do not work to the 'Gospodin kapitan' form of address used there.....
The one thing they did get right was the attitude of the SNO's (Senior Naval Officers) portrayed.....that, reassuringly, seldom changes! 'Deny, deny and if questioned again, smile and continue to deny '. :-)
U-571 was used - they just tarted her up a bit to look like a British boat - unconvincingly so as there is no disguising German hull forms!
Jonty
