The Bedford Incident | | Cast : | Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier | | Director : | James B. Harris | | Studio : | Columbia Tristar Hom | | Format : | Black & White, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January , 1965 | | DVD Released Date : | September 23, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Japanese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 08, 2005 | | Summary | Tense and riveting cold war thriller | Content
 | "The Bedford Incident" is a taut and suspense laden drama, well conceived and filmed almost entirely aboard the U.S.S. Bedford, a NATO based destroyer patrolling waters off the coast of Greenland.
Sidney Poitier, playing noted photojournalist Ben Munceford, has been given permission to come aboard the Bedford during manuevers to write and shoot a story about her no nonsense Capt. Eric Finlander played intensely by Richard Widmark. Widmark is a stern, mean and patriotic commander whose views are more hawkish than government policy. Widmark's character is brilliantly developed as his driven personality will have a major bearing on the plot developments.
While patrolling, sonar aboard the Bedford detects the presence of a Russian submarine within the territorial waters of Greenland, in violation of current policy. Widmark endeavors to trap the sub in these tabooed waters to create a situation to make the Russians look bad. He shadows the sub forcing it to stay submerged in the midst of a huge ice floe. Aided strategically by NATO advisor former U-boat commandant Commodore Schrepke played icily by Eric Portman, they keep the sub bottled up ultimately wishing to coax it to the surface to replenish oxygen.
Officially Widmark has been ordered to observe but not engage. Not satisfied, he creates a condition meant to force the issue with potential cataclysmic results.
The flick produced by Widmark and ably directed by James Harris states a very strong anti-war sentiment, pointing out exactly how precarious political feelings were at this time. The excellent character development in the film certainly enhanced the success of the production and the message that it delivered. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 16, 2005 | | Summary | "There's something very exciting about the hunt." | Content
| As other reviewers have already mentioned, this is one of the best Cold War thrillers ever made. Based on Mark Rascovich's novel, this is the story of The Bedford, a U.S. naval vessel supposed to be on a typical NATO patrol that ends up in a tense showdown with a Russian submarine.
Richard Widmark (who also co-produced the movie) plays the fanatically determined Captain Eric Finlander, who will stop at nothing to force the enemy sub to surface, whether it's in international waters or not. Widmark plays a totally unlikable character, but hey this is someone who became a star for pushing an old lady down the stairs in "Kiss of Death"! Widmark is one of my favorite actors and he gives yet another incredible performance.
On board the Bedford are three potential sources of conflict for Captain Finlander. First and foremost is Ben Munceford (played by Sidney Poitier), a photojournalist who constantly questions the captain's judgement while trying to find out the truth of the dangerous mission of hunting the Russian sub. Also on board is the recently assigned ship's doctor, played by Martin Balsam, who is neither wanted or liked by the captain. And finally, Eric Portman portrays a former U-boat commander who is now a West German NATO observer on the Bedford. His expert advice is only helpful to the captain as long as he doesn't challenge the captain's authority. Plus, a very young Donald Sutherland plays one of the doctor's aides, and James MacArthur plays a young ensign who eventually cracks from the barrage of insults and pressure heaped upon him by the demented captain.
The Bedford is a ship where everyone on board is tense and combat ready 24/7. No one reports for sick call and no one asks for transfers. Captain Finlander pushes his men and his ship to the breaking point as they closely follow the Russian sub. But when the sub refuses to surface, Finlander pushes his luck too far, leading to tragic consequences.
This is a tense, edge-of-your-seat thriller that blows all other Cold War movies out of the water. The amazing black and white cinematography adds to the chilling atmosphere, and the flawless performances will keep you hooked throughout the film. The dvd has a great picture and sound quality, but except for a few theatrical trailers there are no special features. If you enjoy Cold War thrillers this is an absolute must! |
| Rating | | | Date | January 11, 2005 | | Summary | "Bedford" has been used in military training. | Content
| I first heard of this movie from a guy I met who told me it had been used as an example of overzealousness in his military training. It was shown to caution the soldiers (he was Army) not to "push too hard" where mistakes could be costly. Who knew what incident might escalate into WW III. He said they were told that the Bedford Incident was based on a true incident that was very similar to but had a different outcome than the movie. He said they were told the real incident and it's outcome but sworn to secrecy about it. The movie and the training relating to it impressed him very much. I have not heard this from others. It may not have been used service wide, maybe just by a single group. The movie certainly could serve that purpose. I was wondering if anyone else had heard of the Bedford Incident being based on actual events. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 30, 2004 | | Summary | Moby Dick revisited, by way of Dr. Strangelove | Content
| This is quite a movie. It is story of cold war paranoia, and the personal ambition and fanaticism of a modern-day Ahab, without the black humor of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece. The captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer relentlessly pursues his leviathan, a Soviet submarine, while pushing his own crew beyond human endurance. His fanaticism and rage toward the Soviet sub increases in parallel with the restrictions imposed on him by cautious higher-ranking officers -- the same officers who denied him a promotion into the general ranks. A German former U-boat commander serves as an adviser on the U.S. Navy vessel, but sympathizes with the increasingly desperate men trapped in the submarine below. Compassion for the enemy? The mature ambivalence of an older man, coming to terms with the world war that defined HIS life? Several members of the destroyer's crew, including the medical officer, illustrate the mirroring desperation of the men aboard the U.S.S. Bedford. Portier -- the only civilian present, and less subject to the captain's arbitrary and absolute authority -- serves as the audience's eyes into this little world. This is a dark film; the photography and tension are excellent, reflecting noir influences from 15 years earlier. And the end of the story reflects the growing fear on both sides of the iron curtain after the missiles of October. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 02, 2004 | | Summary | A Navy Dog's movie...very realistic for the 60's | Content
| Remembering my short,2 year period on a Navy ship I remember the captain refusing to dip the flag for a Russian ship passing by as this captain did. Finlander mentons that the ship is aluminum and as many may remember the Falklands war, the british aluminum ships that were hit by French antiship missles, burned very fast and the ships sunk quickly. The movie makes mention it... "this is an aluminum ship, if we are hit we dont stand a chance". The captain of my ship was pretty hard on junior officers on the bridge and in CIC and heard him frequently chewing them out. The state of electronic warfare was pretty basic then (transisters were new) and the Captain was always demanding answers and it got hectic at times. I loved the realism of this movie. It was better than hunt for red october in my mind. If you like military thrillers you will love this! It is a classic! Just like a '56 chevy coupe! |
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