Greyhound
Ratings: 4/5
Director: Aaron Schneider
Producer: Gary Goetzman
Genre: War Drama
Language: English
Release Date: 10 July 2020
Streaming Platform: Apple TV Plus
Star Cast: Tom Hanks, Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, Elisabeth Shue, Tom Brittney, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Karl Glusman, Jake Ventimiglia, Matt Helm, Joseph Poliquin, Devin Druid, Maximilian Osinski, Dominic Keating, Ian James Corlett, Thomas Kretschmann
Plot: Based on the novel ‘The Good Shepherd’(1955) by C. S. Forester, ‘Greyhound’ is set in the backdrop of the World War II where Commander Ernest Krause(Tom Hanks) is on his first war mission to lead an international convoy across the North Atlantic to Liverpool tackling the German attacks.
Review: A 91 minute of tight-boxed warfare on the sea extracted from the Battle of the Atlantic, finds victory with Tom Hanks’ on board. His Ernest Krause, who is on his first war-time assignment, is leading a merchant convoy of 37 ships, and his residing ship being USS Keeling - codename: Greyhound. The convoy that is carrying troops and supplies is attacked by the German U-boats or the ‘Wolfpack’.
The film opens sharing a background to the plot and cuts to Ernest Krause praying inside his cabin. Immediately a flashback gives a sneak-peek into Krause’s personal life, a woman, donned by Elisabeth Shue, whom he desires to marry. And we are back on deck with Krauss giving orders, apparently not too harsh on his subordinates, rather appreciative and empathetic. Perhaps because it’s Krause’s maiden mission and brutality and agony of war haven’t yet cast down his life force.
‘Greyhound’ doesn’t invest time in familiarizing the audience with the naval jargons, it demands us to stay vigilant and make sure we don’t miss out even on a fraction of a second. The film is tight, fast, takes you on an exhilarating voyage, and allows you inside the US navy decorums. However, it keeps you from that sense of completion that the audience generally expects from such war dramas.
‘Greyhound’ seems to let the emotional connection slip away while focusing too much historical data and naval tactics. The characters in the film never get the scope to grow and come through. We only learn a few names including Krauss, unfortunately we never meet them. Krauss’ short-lived encounter with his lover too doesn’t help much with the character sketch. That episode tries to build a link with the on-ship warfare narrative, however, not sufficient enough to read the man on a mission. When Krauss gets a heavy heart for the departed souls killed in the warfare, that grief touches us very lightly and briefly. I strongly believe, a war film must thrive on emotional bedrock that will drive the audience to mourn for those lost fictional beings and the real-life heroes who have inspired different generations to pay a tribute to their unparalleled contributions via cinema. ‘Greyhound’ somewhere fails to create that impulse except for its end credits that serve as a montage exhibiting original footages from WWII. However, like a swift-footed canine, ‘Greyhound’ never loses its focus and niftily makes its way out surviving burns, injuries, and enemy torpedoes.
Interestingly, Tom Hanks himself has penned down the screenplay and his efforts are truly commendable. If you consider yourself fit to witness a segment of the Second World War in the treacherous waters of an open fire, under the sensible commandership of Tom Hanks, you are most welcome to float with the ‘Greyhound’.
