To me, this movie is perfection.

Must See Movie...

From my favorite movies..

best movie i've ever seen.

The 1965 cold war film, "The Bedford Incident", by James B. Harris is a great suspenseful production. The storyline is written quite well, and accompanied by the great acting from the cast, i instantly became drawn into the film, feeling as if i was there. I thought the angles used by the cameras and the shots they produced where amazing. I felt that the sound effects and lighting added to the tension that built up throughout the film. I did think that the models that were used, the boat and the iceberg, could have been a little more realistic, but hey. All in all i give the film , "The Bedford incident" 4 1/2 out of 6 chicken nuggets

This is another take on the cat-and-mouse war games that was kick-started by The Enemy Below. The twist is that this time the U-boat commander is on the bridge of the American destroyer in an advisory capacity at the invitation of skipper Richard Widmark. Widmark just knows there's a Soviet sub down there somewhere and damned if he isn't going to wait it out whatever it takes. Instead of a full-on chase the screenplay carefully filters the action through the eyes of two newcomers who join the ship via helicopter whilst it is in mid voyage; Sydney Poitier is an eminent photo-journalist assigned to do a magazine story on Widmark whilst Martin Balsam is the new ship's doctor. All four are on top of their game and Wally Cox scores in a rare dramatic role although James McArthur is slightly wooden. With no 'action' in the accepted sense until the final reel the film holds the attention by simply racking up the tension. Excellent.

The Cold War is one of the world's most frightening conflicts ever as it nearly extinguished humanity. During this time, suspicious nations rattled atomic sabers at one another and secret agencies scurried about disseminating Ideological propaganda and psychological warfare, but for the most part the only thing accomplished was that Americans spent billions threatening a distant enemy who ultimately became our friend. One exceptional film which appear during this era, was " The Bedford Incident." It is the story of an American reporter Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) who seeks out a controversial naval officer, because he believes him to be a rare individual. That particular man is Captain Eric Finlander. (Richard Widmark) a no-nonsense commander who is determined to do his duty, even if it means destroying a stray Russian Submarine, armed with nuclear missiles. While Munceford is trying to fathom the Captain, he notices everyone under Finlander's command is being subjected to increasing pressure, enormous stress and intolerable strain to remain on high alert as if war could be initiated at any time. From an audience point of view, the tension on board the Bedford, mirrors the terrifying state of fear in the world. Helping the audience analyze the situation is Lieut. Cmdr. Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) a naval Doctor who warns the Captain of mounting psychological dangers of his crew. One such officer is Ensign Ralston (James MacArthur) who the doctor warns is wound 'too tight' to be on duty. Another is Seaman Merlin Queffle (Wally Cox) who believes he controls the ship. This is a remarkable film, for it's characters, it's drama and eventually it's inevitable ending. It's a reminder, the fears we create are as real as our nightmares. ****

Except for that last scene, I would have enjoyed serving under Finlander. Abrasive to goldbrickers, egotists, newcomers, outsiders and slouches, Finlander indeed had great affection and concern for his men; his actions and reactions always done for effect, deliberate 180-degree switches in attitude depending on whom he was addressing and what he felt he had to accomplish. Imperfect but decent, the Captain is a fascinating study in command and leadership. Reporter Ben Munceford recognizes this, and goes and gets his story, taking extreme chances and getting under the personality at last, gaining Finlander's respect. Eventually, we all watch helplessly as Finlander leads too much by example, becomes what he hates most, an egotist, and completely without knowing it. In the end, this turn of personality kills them all.