I was going to do these in alphabetical order but I had watched this one shortly before I decided to embark on this little (ahem) project so I am doing it early.
The Silver Fleet (1943) is a very English film about Dutch resistance in occupied Holland during World War 2. It's an interesting film that came out of Powell and Pressburger's Archers production company but not directly made by the pair (this was unusual).
This film certainly does have the flavor of a wartime morale booster but doesn't quite fall into the realm of propaganda which makes it hold up better to modern standards. From what I understand, the story is only somewhat true. The primary inspiration for the film is the story of a German submarine, built by Dutch workers, that was stolen from the shipyards in Holland and sailed to England before the Germans could seize it. The screenplay does set a serious tone, even if the Nazis are watered down, as far as how ruthless they were to people in the nations they occupied. Fortunately the movie holds your interest enough for details like this to be overlooked.
The principal character, van Leyden (Ralph Richardson) is smart, cunning, and cool as a block of ice on the North Sea. But he's not a super hero. Van Leyden uses his position as the supervisor of the shipyard to outwit and schmooze the Nazis who are constantly pressuring him and his workers to crank out more subs for the war effort. Van Leyden comes off as such a professional spy that even his wife and kids believe he's sold out and is helping the Germans.
So, an interesting film of its time and a side of the war I haven't seen displayed very often in WW2 films. The pacing is a little on the slow side and the acting a bit stiff, but quite good overall. For all I know, Dad saw this one during the war (not sure how widely it played here in the States) but I'd bet he knew of the incident with the subs.
If you're interested in World War 2, this one is worth a look.
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