‘U-Boat 29:’ Spy Work in Hostile Waters

The first pairing of acclaimed filmmakers Powell and Pressburger produces a tight story of a WWII German U-boat in British waters.

Spies eyes on the prize—the grand British fleet, in “U-Boat 29.” London Films Productions

NR | 1h 17m | Spy, Thriller, War | 1939

Films drift into the world on their own schedules; sometimes that timing adds a layer nobody planned. War films carry that feeling more than most, in that a script can be written when national tensions simmer, then hit theaters when things are already boiling.

Audiences sit there watching uniforms, coded messages, military maneuvers. Somewhere outside the cinema, those same ideas are turning real (or already have). Sometimes, both the screen and the world stage start brushing against each other.

That’s exactly where “U-Boat 29” (titled “The Spy in Black” in Britain) ends up sitting. It was produced in Britain just before the World War I fully erupted, yet it looks back to World War I.

By the time the war had reached viewers in 1939, the idea of German officers moving through British waters had shifted from distant memory to something far less comfortable. Viewers can feel that overlap in this film—It plays like a relic and a warning at the same time.

Capt. Ernst Hardt (Conrad Veidt), in “U-Boat 29.” London Films Productions

This was the first pairing of highly-regarded filmmakers Michael Powell (directing) and Emeric Pressburger (screenwriting) under Alexander Korda’s production banner, London Films Productions. That alone gives the picture a certain charge when seen in hindsight.

We’re watching two filmmakers mingle their creative talents before they became a known force, still figuring out how their instincts lined up. The collaboration feels a little unpredictable, like two musicians trying to find the same rhythm together.

What also makes this interesting is the way it handles its central figure: a German U-Boat captain who moves through the story with a sense of purpose, carrying out orders that would mark him as the enemy in any wartime narrative.

Yet, the portrayal here gives him a sense of honor that feels unusually generous for its moment. There’s a high degree of discipline in his actions, a kind of private code that keeps him from sliding into caricature.

U-Boat Captain Ashore

In a rather humorous opening scene, the German U-Boat commander in question, Capt. Ernst Hardt (Conrad Veidt), and his second in command, Lt. Felix Schuster (Marius Goring), step into a hotel; like a thick fog, tobacco smoke it hangs in the air. The weary men expect a proper officer’s meal after time at sea, but what they get instead is the only food available: boiled fish and carrots.

Hardt soon finds himself pulled away from familiar naval life and sent on a top-secret mission toward the Orkneys, off the northern coast of Scotland. A German spy named Fraulein Tiel (Valerie Hobson) has already laid the groundwork there by stepping into the identity of a Scottish schoolteacher.

When Hardt joins her, their partnership carries a bit of friction; she keeps him under her control in ways he doesn’t expect, as if she trusts the plan more than the man.

Cmdr. Ashington (Sebastian Shaw), a British officer with his own reasons for helping their German spy network, moves along the edges of their scheme, adding another element of risk to an already delicate situation.

The German objective points toward the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, Scotland, although the film never rushes to spell everything out for viewers. Instead, it lets small details build into larger consequences, where slips in behavior or moments of hesitation can start to unravel the entire plan.

Brisk Storytelling

The crew of “U-Boat 29.” London Films Productions

The film’s scenes are shot in clean black-and-white that favors clarity, even by today’s standards. Bernard Browne’s camera keeps things readable, letting faces and spaces carry their particular moments.

Location work and studio sets blend in a way that hold up well, with the Orkney Island setting feeling wide, harsh, and exposed, while cozy interiors close in enough to keep focus on the characters.

Veidt plays Hardt with a steady presence; there’s restraint in the performance that makes the character more believable than the usual cardboard cutout Nazis portrayed during the period.

Hobson has an even cooler demeanor as Fraulein Tiel; her clipped mode of speech and eyes seem unreadable much of the time. Her character is more complex for reasons I won’t spoil here but, suffice it to say, that all isn’t what it may initially seem when it comes to her motivations and ultimate purpose.

Capt. Ernst Hardt (Conrad Veidt) and Fraulein Tiel (Valerie Hobson) share a moment, in “U-Boat 29.” London Films Productions

Most impressive is how the screenplay fits into its rather scant 77-minute running time. It moves through its setup, infiltration, and escalation phases without dragging its feet. Before you realize it, the story is already tightening around its final turns. There’s also a streak of dry humor running under all of the cloak-and-dagger suspense, especially in the way certain interactions play out.

Some comes from character friction. Other humor is found in situations like Hardt baying back at a curious goat he encounters as he climbs up a Scottish cliff under the cover of night. It gives the film a personality that separates it from some of the more stiff war pictures of the time.

“U-Boat 29” is a strong, tightly-run picture as Powell and Pressburger start to click in a real way, even in this early partnership.

“U-Boat 29” is available on Plex, the Criterion Channel, and Fawesome.

‘U-Boat 29’ Director: Michael Powell Starring: Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson, Sebastian Shaw Not Rated Running time: 1 hour, 17 minutes Release Date: Oct. 7, 1939 (United States) Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

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