How others will see it. Military historians will find it interesting, and fans of British thespians will recognize several faces, such as Celia Johnson, John Mills, and Richard Attenborough, in his first film playing a cowardly sailor. David Lean is credited as co-director. As a drama, In Which We Serve is relatively compelling, and it is a step above the typical pro-war propaganda film.
How I felt about it. It's more honest as well. One sailor sneers at the Italians, and credits their "lousy" fighting to "their warm, langorous southern temperament," perhaps forgetting that the Roman Empire conquered Britain and occupied it for a few centuries. Another lapse from bravado is a late sarcastic exchange: "Join the navy, and see the world." "Looks to me as if it's going to be the next world."
But, a return to patriotic normalcy follows, when not one but wounded sailors expire within moments of whispering home addresses of next of kin to the captain (apparently, the one survivor able to write). The veteran film viewer hopes these touching moments are extended by the captain's remark, "Here's another stiff for you to dump overboard, mate," but then, fortunately, I did not write the screenplay.
Any complains about In Which We Serve should be addressed to the late Noel Coward, who produced, directed, wrote, composed, and starred in the movie. Churchill is reputed to have said, "The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy, and the lash," but that's not the British Navy you'll see here.
Instead, you have the machine gunner manning his post even as he's swamped from waves capsizing the ship. Here, you have men risking their lives to swim after a strafed fellow sailor. The courage of these ficticious men makes me proud to be an Englishmen. Well, actually I'm not, but I do speak the language.
On the homefront, we have sailors wed to unusually lovely and gracious women. Coward is in addition blessed with two 'delightfully' plucky pre-adolescent children who 'rightfully' worship their 'heroic' captain father.
Obviously, I'm being harsh toward the movie, but I do not wish the diminish the sacrifices of England at a time when they were the only country engaged in battle with Germany, which occupied virtually all of Europe in 1942. Yet it must be said that England would have been overrun as well, were it not for the English Channel. A lesser leader than Churchill would have tried to negotiate peace with German after France fell. But then, what would a peace treaty with Hitler be worth? Nada.