SYNOPSICS
The Sea Wolf (1941) is a English movie. Michael Curtiz has directed this movie. Edward G. Robinson,Ida Lupino,John Garfield,Alexander Knox are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1941. The Sea Wolf (1941) is considered one of the best Adventure,Drama movie in India and around the world.
1900. Each coming into the situation under different circumstances, George Leach, Ruth Brewster, both who are trying to evade capture by the authorities, and writer Humphrey Van Weyden, from a refined background, somewhat reluctantly are on their first of the latest sailing of the Ghost, a sealing schooner, out of its home port of San Francisco. The Ghost is skippered with an iron fist by "Wolf" Larsen, who will not tolerate any question of his authority, and whose cruelty has turned his crew into a hardened lot. In that cruelty, he will often turn his adversaries against each other to his own end of that total control. While all three would like to get off, George and Ruth someplace other than San Francisco, they are being held somewhat captive by Wolf both in not interacting with any other ships and not making land until its ultimate return to San Francisco. Humphrey can see and discovers that Wolf is a mass of contradictions as the Ghost's true nature, which has to do with Wolf's ...
More
The Sea Wolf (1941) Reviews
Atmospheric and Exciting
Good film that combines action and psychology and film noir. Edward G. Robinson stars as Larson, the cruel captain of the Ghost, a ship no one wants to sail on. John Garfield and Ida Lupino are people running away from their pasts, and Alexander Knox is an unlucky writer. These three people end up on the Ghost through coincidence. Also onboard are Gene Lockhart as a boozy doctor and Barry Fitzgerald as a psychotic cook. All 5 stars are great in this neat little film that bears little resemblance to the Jack London novel, but who cares. Beautifully filmed with lots of fog and terrific closeups. Garfield and Lupino make a great couple and match each other angst for angst. Knox is best remembered for his starring role in Wilson but is very effective here as well. Robinson seemingly could play any role. He must stand as the most underrated actor of the 30s and 40s. Never Oscar nominated, Robinson nevertheless had a career that spanned decades and never gave a bad performance. The Sea Wolf is a definite nominee for anyone's "must see" list.
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven
Jack London's novels usually dealt with the interrelationship between man and nature. Herbert Spencer had corrupted and popularized the theories of Charles Darwin as "the survival of the fittest," something Darwin never wrote and wouldn't have believed anyway. In London's best works Spencer's jargon is not promoted but rather utilized to discredit the doctrine which was being bastardized by the robber barons in the pre-Great Depression world of big business to justify their millions of largely untaxed loot. Not surprisingly London was a socialist. Power hungry, egotistical humans are depicted as animals whose characteristics they share. Wolf Larsen is not unlike a wolf who stalks his prey to devour it one piece at a time. Though there are significant differences between the novel and the movie, "The Sea Wolf" remains true to form. London would have undoubtedly approved of the film version of perhaps his best work. Wolf Larsen who identifies with the master poet John Milton not just because Milton went blind in a similar way that Larsen was going blind but also because Satan in the serpent as described by Milton in "Paradise Lost" believes many notions that Larsen believes. That he underlines the famous passage, "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven" is indicative of how Larsen views himself. The consummate actor Edward G. Robinson, who could play any role as if he were that particular character, breathes life into this very complex personality. Obviously Larsen has a conscience and is not totally corrupt and evil. During the famous, telling scene when Dr. Louis "Louie" J. Prescott played to perfection by Gene Lockhart is kicked down the stairs by Larsen just after the sea wolf has told the crew not to pick on him anymore, the viewer can tell by the look in Larsen's eyes and the expression on his face that he has a degree of remorse for what happens next. Satan in the serpent would not possess any remorse. The true embodiment of evil is the Igor-type creature everyone calls Cooky (Barry Fitzgerald, playing against type and giving perhaps the best performance of his career). Full of hate, insidiously mocking his crew mates and anyone else with whom he makes contact, this vile little man shows no redeeming qualities whatsoever. In some ways Larsen is actually jealous of Cooky for being more iniquitous than himself, hence why Larsen turns on him. A major weakness is the somewhat frivolous romance between George Leach (John Garfield) and Ruth Brewster (Ida Lupino). Both fugitives, it is quite understandable how the two are attracted to each other but that the two would become so close so soon is highly unlikely. Garfield and the multi-talented Lupino were two of the best Thespians of their generation so expect standout performances by each. A somewhat wild card in the acting department is Alexander Knox as the sensitive writer Humphrey Van Weyden. Later Knox would receive accolades playing President Woodrow Wilson. He does so well in this film the viewer wonders what would have happened had Knox not become overly identified as Wilson to the extent that he never again got a suitable role for his talents. London obviously split his personality when he wrote himself into "The Sea Wolf." His literary side is represented by Humphrey, his adventurous romantic side by Leach.
The best version of this old chestnut, despite plot changes.
Jack London's novel "The Sea Wolf" is one of those old chestnuts that seemingly won't go away. It has served as an subject for movies almost since they began being made, including Italian and Russian versions. This 1941 Warner version remains the definitive screen adaptation, however, in spite of numerous alterations to the plot of the original novel. In the book, Wolf Larson is a giant Norwegian sea captain who rules his ship by virtue of his strength and brutality. He is the embodiment of the old joke which runs: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, because I am the meanest, toughest son of a b--- in the valley!" One would ordinarily think that the five foot six inches tall Edward G. Robinson would be a poor choice to play such a character. However, Robinson is a good enough actor, and a forceful enough screen personality, to carry it off. John Garfield is equally perfect as a chip-on-the-shoulder working class seaman who dares to oppose Larson. He's a perfect foil for Robinson, and it's great fun watching the two of them snarl at each other like a couple of wild dogs. Ida Lupino and Alexander Knox do some of their best work as the two castaways rescued by Larson's vessel. Lupino plays a female ex-convict trying to conceal her past, and Knox is an effete writer whom Larson decides to educate in what he considers the ways of the real world. Gene Lockhart and Barry Fitzgerald are equally good in supporting roles as the ship's drunken and degraded doctor, and the thoroughly corrupt cook. It is particularly refreshing to see Fitzgerald play a really unpleasant character for a change, and one can only wonder why he didn't get more parts like this. In The Sea Wolf, Fitzgerald plays an individual so slimy that one almost expects to see him leave a trail behind him, like a slug. Director Michael Curtiz managed to impart a dank and foggy atmosphere to The Sea Wolf that seems to suit the story perfectly, and that feeling is enhanced by Erich Korngold's moody score. The first view of the schooner "Ghost", looming out of the fog like a real ghost, is particularly memorable. Granted, the ending differs radically from that of the book. This film's ending seems rather more satisfying than London's was, however. London was virtually forced to end the novel the way he did because it is presented in narrative form and the writer, Van Wyden, is the one actually telling the story. Warner Brothers could change the ending because, as a movie, the story was no longer restricted to Van Wyden's point of view.
"There is a price no man will pay for living"
It's amazing what a really good actor can pull off. In the Jack London novel on which this film was loosely based, Wolf Larson is tall, blond, Scandinavian, an "ubermensch" flaunting his invincible strength and power over other men. Edward G. Robinson was very short and dark, almost gnome-like with little stubby hands, a homely face and nasal voice. Yet somehow he fills this improbable role, making Larson at once larger than life and credibly human. Larson is, of course, the "sea wolf" of the title, captain of the Ghost, a mysterious, perpetually fog-enshrouded schooner. Manned by a crew of brutal and brutalized men, the ship is ostensibly hunting seals, but its real destination is a show-down with Wolf's brother, the even more colorfully named Death Larson. We never learn much about this sibling feud, or about the backgrounds of the major characters. Aside from Larson, there is George Leach (John Garfield), who signs on with the ship to escape a prison rap, and two passengers rescued from the wreck of a ferry in San Francisco harbor: Ruth (Ida Lupino), an escaped convict, and Van Weyden, a well-bred writer who becomes, as observer and interpreter of the action, the film's central consciousness. Larson refuses to put the two castaways ashore, seemingly out of pure spite. Leach plots to escape the ship, and the threat of mutiny hangs in the air. As this summary suggests, the movie's plot is as foggy as its atmosphere, but this doesn't matter very much. The atmosphere, at once raffish and eerie, and the beautifully drawn characters provide plenty of interest, and there is also a serious and compelling theme. Larson's motto (from Milton) is "better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." Van Weyden, who becomes the secretly intellectual captain's confidant, realizes that Larson is afraid to leave his ship because only as its captain can he enjoy absolute power; on shore he would be forced to compete with his equals and betters. His sport is humiliating his victims and stripping them of dignity and self-respect. He gratuitously insults and torments all those who attempt to challenge him: in addition to Leach and Ruth, there is Louis (the excellent Gene Lockhart), a broken, alcoholic doctor who tries to recover his dignity after saving Ruth's life with a transfusion of Leach's blood. Larson won't let him, of course, and his desperate response prompts the writer's comment, "There is a price no man will pay for living." Larson even turns against Cookie (Barry Fitzgerald), his most loyal crew-member. Fitzgerald is spectacularly loathsome, shrieking with laughter and scuttling around his galley like a demonic leprechaun. John Garfield, to his credit, was never reluctant to take supporting roles in films he admired. His part here, while secondary, is a pip: a defiant young roughneck, smarting with wounded pride, looking terrific in a tattered sweater and fisherman's cap. He gets a great introduction in the first scene, walking into a waterfront dive where he brushes off a pickpocket ("If you find anything in there, brother, I'll share it with you") and knocks out the recruiter who tries to slip him a mickey. On board the Ghost, he's the only one of the sailors who rebels against Larson; when ordered to address the captain with respect, he manages to make "sir" sound like a four-letter word. "Don't worry," he says before the transfusion, "This kind of blood never cools off." Ida Lupino is wonderful (when was she not?) as the convict who has lost her spirit; her pathetic lady-like act keeps giving way to flashes of anger and underlying sadness. She and Garfield make a perfect couple, and their romance, which could have seemed like a sop to the box office, is deeply touching. Like Garfield, Lupino regularly played tough, resentful hard-luck kids. But her pale, waif-like delicacy and wistfulness contrast nicely with Garfield's rough-hewn sturdiness and combustible temper. They have three good scenes together: one where she finds him huddled like a whipped puppy in the ship's hold (he has been beaten after assaulting the captain) and they smoke cigarettes together. Initially hostilehe tells her scornfully that he only stood up for her because "I can't even stand to see a dog beg, much less a human being"they quickly bond. He urges her to keep fighting and boasts that Larson can never break his spirit, while she wearily responds that nothing makes any difference to her anymore. Later they talk in a doorway, Ida in her nightgown, and he touches her arm, realizing that his own blood is running through it. They don't kiss, but their chemistry is palpable. Finally they play a love scene on either side of a locked iron door, whispering to each other with their lips touching the wall between them. Eventually Larson's invincibility starts to crack, as he suffers from crippling migraines and hysterical blindness. He remains too vicious to arouse any pity, but Robinson makes him a fascinating monster. He conveys such a dominant, overpowering will that you hardly notice he's not physically imposing; his sneering voice, nasty laugh and devious intelligence make him genuinely scary. The intense performances of the whole cast knit together this unusual blend of boy's-adventure-story entertainment and serious drama, a classic of the Warner Brothers' minor-key style.
A rough sea captain is put to the test.
This is probably the best remembered version of the Jack London tale. A ruthless and savvy sea captain(Edward G. Robinson)reluctantly rescues a shipwreck and puts his unplanned passengers to work on his ship. Soon he is forced to deal with an enraged, rebellious crew. Directed expertly by Michael Curtiz. Robinson is great as the meglomaniacal master of the ship. Outstanding performances from Ida Lupino and John Garfield. Also in supporting roles are Howard Da Silva, Barry Fitzgerald and Alexander Knox. Watch this in tandem with another Curtiz swashbuckler SEA HAWK(1940)along with popcorn shrimp and dramamine...talk about adventure.