about Bedford, it has occurred to me that it is almost a "submarine" movie, among which are some ezxceptional films. Bedford makes great use of the radar ping sound effects, as submarine films are wont to do. Eric Portman'spart as a former German U-boat commander or commodore makes a wonderful link to movies more oriented to World War 2.His role creates ambivalence all along the line as Widmark relies on him but Portman is not on board with Widmark's obsession. It's as if Widmark has assumed the Nazi mantle that Portman is ahedding. Portman identifies with the military and even the men below, not the Nazi party. Yet his very presence on the Bedford points to the U.S. adoption of ex-Nazis. Widmark's physical presence in his role is so strong, he' fierce, that he looks like an entirely different man, at least to me.
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