1951 | Not Rated | 1h 51m | Drama, Romance, War
When it comes to war movies, submarine warfare films can be some of the most intense ones to experience. Some of that intensity is due to the physical confines of submarines themselves—relatively cramped conditions where men of war must learn to live together while working toward a common goal.
Another facet that draws one in is the nature of submarine navigation. Subs maneuver under tons of water in dark, unforgiving environments and are constantly concerned with being detected by both surface threats (that is, warships) and enemy subs (cue the pings of active sonar).
While I do enjoy some of the more modern submarine warfare films, I find that they are mostly overly long and contain unnecessary padding to inflate the slower parts between the inevitable, special effects-laden battle sequences.
In “Operation Pacific,” War War II is in full swing in the Pacific Theater, and the USS Thunderbird, a U.S. Navy submarine, has been tasked with an important objective. Under the command of Comr. John T. “Pop” Perry (Ward Bond in fine form) and his trusty executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford (John Wayne), the Thunderfish is being sent on a mission to the Philippines to rescue a group of innocent civilians, including orphans.
The islands have been captured by the Japanese, and the crew barely accomplishes its mission to rescue civilians, including a toddler they nickname “Butch.” They also spot a prime target on their return to Pearl Harbor, a Japanese aircraft carrier. Although the Thunderfish launches torpedoes at the enemy vessel, they detonate before reaching their intended target.
Back at Pearl Harbor, Duke pays a visit to the local hospital so that he can visit “Butch,” telling the crabby older nurse there that he carried the baby through the island’s jungles to save its life. But after the cantankerous nurse shoos him away, another nurse catches his attention—his ex-wife Mary Stuart (Patricia Neal).
It’s obvious that the flames of passion still exist between Duke and Mary, and he invites her out on a date. However, Mary is currently dating Navy flier Lt. (j.g.) Bob Perry (Philip Carey), who just so happens to be Pop Perry’s younger brother.
Duke is soon sent back out to sea with his crew. In one of the film’s more dramatic scenes, the Thunderfish surfaces after a supposed Japanese civilian freighter raises its white flag to signal its surrender. But it turns out to be a clever ruse; instead, the freighter is a Q-ship or disguised decoy vessel. As the Q-ship begins firing its weapons at the sub, the latter tries to execute a crash dive—but will Pop, Duke, and the rest of the crew survive?
One of the things I enjoyed about this movie is that it uses a good portion of its nearly two-hour running time to develop its principal characters gradually. In learning about each of them, along with their motivations and passions, I hoped for an overall positive outcome, although I was pretty certain there would be some tragic deaths along the way.
In contrast with more recent war films, it never felt overly long or drawn out.
I especially wondered if Duke would survive his dangerous duties at sea and return to rekindle things with Mary.
“Operation Pacific” gives a good sense of how things were back in the 1950s. As the United States had largely recovered from World War II, there was an almost palpable feeling of optimism for the future. It was a time of widespread good intentions, relative innocence, and an era of tremendous expansion and innovation.
