Under Ten Flags [Sotto Dieci Bandiere] *** (1960, Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, John Ericson, Mylène Demongeot, Cecil Parker) – Classic Movie Review 11,874

Director Duilio Coletti’s 1960  Italian-American war film Under Ten Flags [Sotto Dieci Bandiere] stars Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, John Ericson, Mylène Demongeot, and Cecil Parker.

Under Ten Flags is an intriguing and involving Italian-made World War Two wartime action thriller about British vessels trying to stop Captain Bernhard Rogge (Heflin)’s German disguised raid ship that has being hounding Allied ships for two years. The British would hardly have filmed this story, based on German diaries by Bernhard Rogge, and the movie is fascinating for being viewed from the German side and for the Nazi being cleverer than British admiral Russell (Laughton).

Back in 1960, it did not go down too well though, despite the strong real-life story, quality acting, costly and handsome-looking production and the busy action. An ideally cast Heflin is excellent in a truthful, sterling performance and, by contrast, Laughton is entertainingly over-the-top.

After a long absence from screens, it appeared on British TV in February 2005.

Aldo Tonti’s photography is good but colour would have been nice. Nino Rota’s score is an obvious asset.

The cast are Van Heflin as Captain Bernhard Rogge, Charles Laughton as Admiral Russell, Mylène Demongeot as Zizi, John Ericson as Krüger, Cecil Parker as Col. Howard, Folco Lulli as Paco, Alex Nicol as Knoche, Liam Redmond as Windsor, Eleonora Rossi Drago as Elsa, John Lee, Ralph Truman as Admiral Benson, Grégoire Aslan as Master of Abdullah, Peter Carsten as Lt. Mohr, Helmut Schmid, Gian Maria Volonté as Samuel Braunstein, Moira Orfei as Naufraga, Dieter Eppler as Dr Hartmann, and Edith Arlene Peters as Suora.

The screenplay is by Vittoriano Petrilli, Duilio Coletti, Ulrich Mohr, Leonardo Bercovici and William Douglas-Home.

Silvio Narizzano is associate director.

Captain Bernhard Rogge commanded the German navy raider Atlantis, which sank 22 Allied merchant ships from May 1940 to November 1941. Atlantis was finally sunk on 22 November 1941 by the British cruiser Devonshire. The film shows Captain Rogge’s humanity and chivalrous conduct, which resulted in him being one of the few high-ranking German officers not arrested after the war by the Allies.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,874

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