Rent San Demetrio, London (1943)

3.6 of 5 from 56 ratings
1h 34min
Rent San Demetrio, London Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
"San Demetrio, London" follows the compelling true story of a crew of British seamen who in 1940 were forced to abandon ship after being torpedoed by German forces. Having been set adrift in their lifeboat for twenty four hours the crew of the 'San Demetrio' must come to a fateful decision: to either withstand the harsh, deadly and fatal conditions of an unrelenting November Atlantic or risk re-boarding the hazardous, flaming decks of the 'San Demetrio' with it's highly explosive cargo of 12,000 tonnes of aviation fuel in an attempt to sail it back home to the safety of the British coast.
Feature is brimming with dramatic tension and is a gripping, inspiring testament to the rarely acknowledged bravery of the merchant navy during the second world war.
Actors:
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Directors:
,
Producers:
Michael Balcon
Writers:
Robert Hamer, Charles Frend, F. Tennyson Jesse
Studio:
Optimum
Genres:
Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
Collections:
Drama Films & TV, inema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 2, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Charles Crichton, Top 10 British Actresses of the 1940s, Top 10 British War Films (1939-45), Top Films, WWII Films: Beaches, Oceans and Camps
BBFC:
Release Date:
12/05/2008
Run Time:
94 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W

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Reviews (1) of San Demetrio, London

Wartime Propaganda. - San Demetrio, London review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
12/04/2023

Inspiring and exciting recreation of a true story from the early days of WWII, and a morale booster for the merchant navy. The San Demetrio is a small British petrol tanker carrying valuable aviation fuel across the Atlantic, taking its chances with the hunting packs of German U-boats and battleships.

After their ship is torpedoed, the men escape into lifeboats. While some are picked up by the Atlantic convoy, one boat floats on for days through the rain and cold before sighting an approaching vessel. Which proves to be the San Demetrio! The men elect to re-board, put out the lingering fire and repurpose the burned out hulk to take them home.

So the film becomes a tribute to their ingenuity and resilience in undertaking this unlikely mission in such hostile conditions and to their unstinting durability as they pull together for the common cause. It's the ultimate affirmation of wartime Britain's mustn't grumble stoicism.

The ensemble of Ealing studio character actors bring realism, conspicuously led by Walter Fitzgerald, but driven by the big hearted Mervyn Johns who keeps the engines pumping. It isn't an artistic looking film, and the back projection is variable, but we palpably feel the demoralising, soaking, freezing waves of the Atlantic in winter, as we cheer the crew home.

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