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The Long Voyage Home (1940)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
The unsung heroes of the Merchant Navy, and their efforts during World War II, are given an unsentimental and realistic treatment via four interlinked short stories. In the early years of the war, the British tramp steamer Glencairn is moored off of the West Indies before returning home. Tribal drums, on the island, beat incessantly in the background while the crewmembers prowl restlessly around the ship. There's no shore leave and the claustrophobic atmosphere is making tempers raw - it's fine when the boat is at sea, but to have land so close and not be able to visit is torture. Luckily one of the men, Aloysius Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell), has flouted the Captain's (Wilfrid Lawson) orders and gone ashore to arrange a welcoming party. The result is a gaggle of young, native women carrying baskets of fruit (and illicit alcohol) whom the Captain decides to let aboard, realising that his crew needs some relaxation. Soon the party is in full swing and Driscoll, along with Ole Olsen (John Wayne) and the other sailors, is dancing and singing to his hearts content. Only one man, Smitty (Ian Hunter), stands alone, for reasons unknown.

With these opening scenes, the way in which each crewman has their character defined shows that despite their superficial quirks every sailor is on the Glencairn for the same reason. They are running away from, or avoiding, something in their past and now that they are used to shipboard life, returning to land isn't so easy. Like prison inmates they are confined to a single environment and similarly harsh conditions; the only 'convict' with a chance for parole is Olsen while the rest are 'lifers', and they know it. As the ship pulls into New York harbour a new sense of urgency descends as high explosives and ammunition are loaded, for the war effort back home. Their worries are somewhat quietened by a special wage bonus though, even if it does all depend on their safe passage through the Atlantic war-zone.

The raw, uncaring power of the ocean (in comparison with the pitiful power of Man) becomes fatally apparent in the next segment of the story when the steamer runs straight into a terrible storm. Under the most dangerous conditions the sailors fight to save their ship (while the officers stay safe and dry). They succeed, but at an incalculable cost. There are further hazards which bar the way of this brave group, indicating how the sailors work as a team, while the most notable individual story thread involves Smitty. The basis for his introverted behaviour becomes clear in the most gripping, and frightening, moments of the entire film. For various reasons, Smitty's fellow sailors decide, en masse, that he is a German spy and move immediately towards exacting a punishment. The shocking way in which his guilt is assumed without any supporting evidence (which is not to say that he isn't guilty) has true present-day resonance.

This is a fine example of ensemble acting, where no single performer stands out as a "Star". The ebb and flow of life aboard a steamer seems accurately recreated, with the petty arguments, solid friendships and rigid routine that this situation involves. That the script arises from the surgical joining of four short stories is clear yet this approach leads to no jarring inconsistencies. Indeed, the tale of Smitty runs throughout the film and provides a solid anchor for the remaining characters. Additional strength arises from the excellent photography and (for their time) special effects - several scary moments occur when huge, and convincing, waves of water wash over the decks. Perhaps the strongest point though, is that The Long Voyage Home refuses to romanticise the Merchant Navy. These sailors had a job to do and they did it, even if they weren't exactly seaman by choice or motivated by intense patriotism.

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