Submarine Command

"Submarine Command" is a war film starring William Holden. It tells the story of Ken White, first officer on the submarine USS Tiger Shark. White grapples with the psychological trauma of a wartime decision that resulted in the death of the captain.

Freshly deployed near the end of WWII, White, during a critical moment, gives the order to dive resulting in the death of the captain and another crew member. Despite being promoted, White is haunted by the event, affecting his personal life. He attempts to move on with a peacetime desk job, but is eventually called back to duty on the Tiger Shark during the Korean War.

The film delves into the emotional toll of war and explores post-traumatic stress disorder, a concept not widely acknowledged at the time. It portrays the struggles of a war hero burdened by guilt and the difficulty of moving forward. "Submarine Command" holds a place in film history for its early portrayal of PTSD. 

Holden portrays Ken White with intensity, conveying the character's internal conflict and emotional turmoil. The role requires a range of emotions, from the initial bravado to despair, anger and eventual determination. Holden's performance can boarder on unnerving at times. He quite effectively captures the character's struggle to reconcile his past with the demands of the day to day.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot going on otherwise in this one. It drags a bit and overly relies on voice over narration to advance the story. The action sequences are good, but don't tie in adequately to the overall plot. This keeps it securely in the pretty good range, but not great.

Interestingly, the scenes onboard the Tiger Shark were filmed on a period submarine. There's tremendous authenticity in the setting and procedures. It's hard to image how the film makers achieved their work in such extremely tight spaces with lighting and cameras. Lots of tight lens...