Captain Sharp (Brian Cox: Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and his crew are transporting civilians across the Atlantic, along with over a thousand Italian prisoners of war and some Polish troops, when their ship is struck by a torpedo from a U-boat. U-boat commander Werner Hartenstein (Ken Duken: Inglorious Bastards) believes he has sunk a British troop ship but when he comes topside to look for surviving officers of the Laconia all he finds are civilians. It’s here that TSOTL really comes into its own when Werner, a true sailor and gentleman, using the code of all sailors, decides to rescue the survivors and keep them warm, well, fed, and safe until allied forces under neutral conditions can come and rescue them. If only it were that simple. Also stars Andrew Buchan (Garrow’s Law), Franka Potente (Run Lola Run), Thomas Kretschmann (The River), Lindsay Duncan (Rome), Jodi Balfour (Bomb Girls).

Going into The Sinking Of The Laconia I really didn’t know what to expect. In fact I assumed that the film would be very much like all the rest of the British retellings of WWII stories, maybe a bit of overblown representations of courage, a love story, big widespread victory grins when the troops stomp out the Germans. Instead what I found was a cross between Lebanon and Das Boot with a lot of its own storytelling depth in-between. The acting was superb, the story amazing, and the aesthetic of the film really helped draw you into the feel of the moment. What’s more the film ended up being a war film that was not a war film. Something that took me by surprise.

We get to see the worst of both sides but mostly we get to see both sides in their most human form. The German sailors on land having a good time and looking out for one another, the British sailors showing charity and acting with procedural acuity. Aboard we get to meet our civilians, find them at their faults and stand out moments. You get to learn a lot about all of the people involved in the Laconia incident right before she gets sunk, this being the one big act of war before we take a closer look at the humanity of both sides in a crisis situation.

Duken is outstanding as Werner Hartenstein. He is both distraught yet confident in his actions as he plucks the survivors from the sea, helps his crew understand what’s happening, and ultimately reveals the truth behind the situation; there are no soldiers, only men who choose to do what is right and what is wrong. I was amazed to find that this was based on a true story and it also helps that the bonus feature on the disc is a retelling of the events through survivors from the Laconia. In contrast with their retelling the film seems almost spot on. In the end I found myself kind of sad to see the story come to an end and even learn about the bleak future for Werner Hartenstein and his crew. It really does take the whole war out of a film about war and makes you realize that while war is an ugly thing people can and will do the right thing according to their own principles. Definitely a must see for fans of films like Lebanon, Das Boot, or Waltz With Bashir. As always, finally judgment is yours. Enjoy.