Their U-boat having been blown out of the water by the Canadian air force, six German survivors find themselves on a desolate peninsular of Northern Canada, their only hope, to hijack the Allied plane that has been sent to capture them. This Second World War propaganda film by Michael Powell, intended to encourage a still isolationist America into battle, has to be one of the most intelligent and thoughtful films of its kind, an attempt to understand hearts and minds, regardless of their side, r find out more...

Mind those steps! Perhaps the most famous movie scene in the history of cinema. The documentary style story of mutiny aboard the Potemkin as the sailors fight oppression and fire on Tzarist troops attempting to quell rebellion in the city of Oddessa. Almost every shot is so beautiful it could work as a still. find out more...

Grant is in uncharacteristic mode as a skiving, drunken bum seeing out WW2 on a South Sea island. Bribed into coast watching for the Aussie Navy, he takes to his task quite happily until the arrival of a shapely French schoolteacher and her seven small charges. A light-hearted saccharine romance. find out more...

Shot in five sections "How The West Was Won" is a sprawling multi-star epic following the fortunes of one family from 1839 and New York to 1889 and Arizona. 'The Rivers' (dir Henry Hathaway); the Prescotts head west down the Ohio river. 'The Plains' (dir Henry Hathaway); Lily moves to St Louis and on to Caifornia. 'The Civil War' (dir John Ford); Linus and Zeb enlist on the Union side. 'The Railroad' (dir George Marshall); the settlers multiply and cavalry officer Zeb finds himself in a war with find out more...

An epic retelling of the attack on Pearl Harbor and its immediate aftermath which focuses on the effects the attack has on the lives of individuals caught up in the ensuing chaos and brings the emotional issues of its characters into sharp relief. John Wayne delivers an excellent performance as a Captain nearing the end of his career who, faced with redundancy in action, looks to improving other areas of his life, particularly his relationship with his son. Kirk Douglas sees the event as a chanc find out more...

This story of a ship, the British destroyer HMS Torrin, and memories of the folks back home, are told in flash backs by survivors as they cling to a life raft. The epitome of stiff upper lip, as Coward's captain graciously condescends to his forelock-touching crew like an indulgent auntie, serves chiefly as a reminder of the structures of snobbery and privilege in the services which were partially responsible for Labour's postwar election victory. find out more...

Nine survivors of a torpedoed ship, awaiting a rescue that may never arrive, find themselves in the same lifeboat as the captain of the U-Boat that sank them. Filmed as a propaganda effort, Lifeboat still manages effortlessly to convey the claustrophobia of the setting. Nominated for 3 Oscars, this is a nail-biting thriller from the master of suspense. find out more...

Set during the American civil war (just), a group of men and women find themselves stranded (Robinson Crusoe-style) on an uncharted island populated by a plethora of larger than life beasties, their only hope of escape the enigmatic and elusive peacenik, Captain Nemo. Based on a Jules Verne adventure, Mysterious Island is classic Harryhausen territory, great fun, dire dialogue and inspired stop go animation. find out more...

The submarine Sea Tiger is on its last legs, but sets to sea after a hasty repair job by the very motley crew. However when a leak springs it's down to five army nurses, who've invaded the vessel, to get it shipshape and in the pink - literally! Grant and Curtis are inspired in this frothy wartime farce. find out more...

Nerve-wracking suspense surrounds The Bedford Incident, the tale of a US naval vessel on a routine NATO patrol that ends up in a freakish showdown with a Russian submarine. Richard Widmark is Capt Eric Finlander, the maniacal commander and Sidney Poitier is Ben Munceford, a photojournalist assigned to record a 'typical' mission. His moral indignation is put to the test by the captain's obsession with forcing the sub to the surface and several crew members are driven to the brink of of nervous ex find out more...