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In Which We Serve

Play trailer Poster for In Which We Serve Released Dec 23, 1942 1h 54m War Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Co-directors David Lean and Noel Coward (in his sole filmmaking effort) created this patriotic World War II drama under the auspices of Great Britain's Ministry of Information. After the sinking of the HMS Torrin during the Battle of Crete in 1941, the ship's survivors -- including Captain Kinross (Noel Coward), Chief Petty Officer Hardy (Bernard Miles) and Seaman Blake (John Mills) -- recall their tour of duty in flashback while awaiting rescue in lifeboats being strafed by German airplanes.
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In Which We Serve

Critics Reviews

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Manny Farber The New Republic One is aware from the start of this movie that it is something new, not done before... The content of each shot was conceived in a film sense rather than any other, and no other picture this year has equaled it. Not even nearly. Mar 25, 2022 Full Review Variety Staff Variety No less than half a dozen credits for this film go to Noel Coward. And they're well earned. Nov 6, 2007 Full Review Tom Milne Time Out Staged with what passed at the time for honest understatement, it now looks impossibly patronising, the epitome of stiff upper lip. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review T.C. Kemp Birmingham Post Because Mr. Coward has held himself in with admirable restraint, the effect of In Which We Serve is a taut emotion. Feb 17, 2022 Full Review Gilbert Seldes Esquire Magazine Palpably fraudulent. Sep 20, 2019 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Established Lean as the a director to watch, and foreshadowed his later prowess at focusing on intimate themes against a grand backdrop. Rated: 4/4 Aug 6, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O A standard war time propaganda film this time paying homage to the British navy. Was immediately struck by how quick the family speak to each other in those 1940s clipped tones. It's all pretty obvious and wet, nothing to get excited about but is paced reasonably enough to keep you engaged. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review John T Simply put: the Brits knew how to make WWII films. This combines the geniuses of writer/actor Noël Coward with the brilliant direction of David Lean... with yet a stellar cast. Through a series of flash backs several of the crew of a sunken British Battleship recount their lives from the start of the war until the day of the sinking. Brilliant cast including Noël Coward himself, John Mills, Celia Johnson and a young Richard Attenborough. Its the "real life" scenes that make this movie work and it pulls at you from every angle. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/14/23 Full Review Stephen R I found Coward's portrayal of the Captain ludicrous. Arch, camp and far too old for the age of his children it was devoid of any human emotion. Very good supporting cast but very patronising towards the lower deck. Watch The Cruel Sea if you want to see what the RN was really like during the war. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/06/23 Full Review david l In Which We Serve is a British WWII drama that features an interesting structure, strong acting and excellent cinematography, but it a movie that is so slowly paced, too densely plotted and filled with way too many characters, resulting in a slog to sit through. It was important back when it was released, but now it holds very little cinematic value. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review john m I felt it was an honest movie for it's time was a British propaganda flick. And ( disagreed with the review from Esquire Magazine that it was ‘Fraudulent' The reviewer must be a teenager and not understand the turbulence in 1942. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Sorry but I found this pretty dull. Firstly I don't like a film told in flashbacks anyway but is simply not enough to interest me. Yes I get this was released during WW2 and contains lots of stick upper lip British bravado, but its aged badly in my mind. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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In Which We Serve

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Movie Info

Synopsis Co-directors David Lean and Noel Coward (in his sole filmmaking effort) created this patriotic World War II drama under the auspices of Great Britain's Ministry of Information. After the sinking of the HMS Torrin during the Battle of Crete in 1941, the ship's survivors -- including Captain Kinross (Noel Coward), Chief Petty Officer Hardy (Bernard Miles) and Seaman Blake (John Mills) -- recall their tour of duty in flashback while awaiting rescue in lifeboats being strafed by German airplanes.
Director
Noël Coward, David Lean
Producer
Noël Coward
Screenwriter
Noël Coward
Distributor
Belle & Blade Studios, United Artists, Criterion Collection
Production Co
British Lion Film Corporation, Two Cities Films Ltd.
Genre
War, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 23, 1942, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 54m
Sound Mix
Mono
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