Crash Diveby Anonymous

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July 21, 2004: 'Crash Dive,' a melodramatic lover's triangle between naval heroes (Tyrone Power and Dana Andrews) and the girl they both love (Anne Baxter), is one of those standard war flicks made at the height of conflict (1943). Remarkably, it continues to stir up patriotism and lift the spirits, despite a somewhat heavy handed script and some truncated bits of romance that seem to be inserts into an otherwise straight forward and compelling adventure movie. Powers is a reluctant executive officer aboard a submarine. His relationship with his new captain (Andrews) becomes strained after he realizes that they are in love with the same woman. All this is background fodder for the real plot - a mid-Atlantic ambush of a secret German island and its Nazi military base. Filmed on location, Leon Shamroy's lush Technicolor photography is the real star of 'Crash Dive' and although the film has dated considerably, there's still enough gleam in the original negative to compel the viewer onward. Colors are rich and for the most part, nicely balanced. Occasionally there are scenes in which the color scheme becomes unstable or flickers. There is also an abundance of age related artifacts that detract from the overall visual presentation. Black and contrast levels are generally solid. There's a slight haze over some of the scenes as well. Digital anomalies are not an issue on this disc. The audio has been cleaned up and is nicely presented. If you're a cinema war junky, then 'Crash Dive' will suit you tastes. But it does not represent the best of genre by any means. The DVD's middle of the road picture quality is a let down.