The human cost of war is reflected in that single second of reluctance.Ĭonsidering Hanks adapted the story himself, you would think he would write more interesting dialogue for himself than mere naval-speak. When the flag-wrapped bodies of the dead are lowered into the waters, one of them gets stuck at the edge. Greyhound is a movie without too much blood or violence, and at the same time, without any sense of tragedy. Moreover, director Aaron Schneider reduces war to a PG-friendly experience. Designed as a narrative entirely dedicated to naval tactics, Greyhound often feels like the Battleship board-game come to life, as Krause and his crew try to track down and destroy enemy submarines. Hanks wrote the screenplay based on CS Forester's 1955 novel The Good Shepherd. Greyhound is a movie without too much blood or violence, and at the same time, without any sense of tragedy In a key test of his mettle, we see him forced into a corner, forced to decide whether to rescue a handful of men from a sinking ship or ward off the next attack on the convoy. But as a crew member celebrates the deaths of "50 Krauts," Krause quietly laments the loss of "50 souls." For he is a man torn between his faith and duty, between dedication and exhaustion, between a showcase of outer confidence and inner self-doubt. When Krause's unconventional tactics sink a German sub on their very first confrontation, his second-in-command Charlie Cole (Stephen Graham) tries to cheer him up: “What you did yesterday got us to today?” The crew knows it had as much to do with beginner's luck as a natural talent, but it gives them all belief. But this is not The Caine Mutiny they still follow orders, shouting and repeating them to exhaustion. His self-doubt is also reflected in the eyes of his crew. Krause's struggles with self-doubt is there for everyone to see: he constantly prays for guidance he second-guesses every decision he is tired but cannot sleep, hungry but cannot eat. There is also an added element of pressure with a first-time captain pitted against these seemingly insurmountable odds. Hanks is shit out of luck on a ship out of luck.Īs a dramatic prologue to the invasion of Normandy, the mission's significance is undeniable. Hiding beneath the waters are German submarines waiting to torpedo this supply line between the United States and Europe. For five days, the ships must make it past a treacherous stretch of water (ominously named the Black Pit) on their own, as it is beyond the range of air support. On his first wartime mission as commander of the USS Keeling (call sign: Greyhound), Captain Ernest Krause (Hanks) must lead a convoy of 37 Allied ships carrying soldiers and supplies across the Atlantic. I was wrong: he is back on a ship, a World War II destroyer - and he must steer it to the limits of its functional possibility to survive the battle against Nazi submarines. So when I heard his new film was called Greyhound, my immediate thought was poor Hanks must contend with the inter-city bus now. Putting Hanks in any mode of transport is almost as bad an idea as putting Liam Neeson in it. Captain Phillips sees his ship hijacked by Somali pirates, and Apollo 13 proves trouble follows him even in outer space. In Sully, birds cripple his plane's engines, forcing him to land it over the Hudson River. In Cast Away, his plane crashes into the ocean leaving him stranded on an island. Tom Hanks and transportation have a troubled history, like two incompatible forces trying to one-up each other.
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