ruggegvg *** This review may contain spoilers ***. More than a war film, this is a film about the psychology of people during a nuclear attack, based on the philosophy that the "defensive attack", speech that combines contradicting terms, to be effective, must be a preventive war, initiated under the belief that future conflict is inevitable, though not imminent. In this context, experts war, Russians and Americans, have calculated that full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two opposing sides would effectively result a winner but the destruction of both the attacker and the defender, called mutual assured destruction theory. In the earlier 1950s, this led to a period of enforced peace and the climate of witch-hunts of McCarthyism, led to an prejudicial anti-communism, leading to the Cold War. The American commander suffers from the so-called Red Scare, despite its good desire and patriotism.

bkoganbing The Bedford Incident is a Cold War Navy story with the captain of the destroyer, USS Bedford playing a game of cat and mouse with a Soviet submarine which has strayed inside the territorial waters of Greenland.These kinds of things happened quite a lot during those tension filled days of the Cold War. Fortunately neither we or the Soviets had a captain like Richard Widmark who is determined to push the envelope all the way if he can.On the voyage that this game of nuclear tag takes place, Widmark is saddled with a pair of outsiders and he doesn't like it at all. First is Sidney Poitier a photojournalist who constantly keeps getting underfoot as Widmark sees it. The second is a medical officer Martin Balsam whom he didn't request.Widmark is a frightening man. He keeps everything and everyone on the ship so tense he's even got Eric Portman concerned. Portman is a NATO adviser and a former German U-Boat commander. As Poitier says, 'Hitler's Navy to which he's corrected, 'no Admiral Doenitz's Navy.Under his command, young ensign James MacArthur is afraid to breathe wrong and sonar man Wally Cox suffers a nervous breakdown. The lack of relief for both of these guys has tragic results.The Bedford Incident remains a curiously forgotten film while such work as Dr. Strangelove and Failsafe people remember better. That's not right, The Bedford Incident is in some respects superior to both of those classics. It's about the strain of command as much as anything else and it's also about the dangers of a truculent attitude in the person with the command.Hopefully this forgotten classic will get more recognition one day.

thinker1691 The Cold War is one of the world's most frightening conflicts ever as it nearly extinguished humanity. During this time, suspicious nations rattled atomic sabers at one another and secret agencies scurried about disseminating Ideological propaganda and psychological warfare, but for the most part the only thing accomplished was that Americans spent billions threatening a distant enemy who ultimately became our friend. One exceptional film which appear during this era, was " The Bedford Incident." It is the story of an American reporter Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) who seeks out a controversial naval officer, because he believes him to be a rare individual. That particular man is Captain Eric Finlander. (Richard Widmark) a no-nonsense commander who is determined to do his duty, even if it means destroying a stray Russian Submarine, armed with nuclear missiles. While Munceford is trying to fathom the Captain, he notices everyone under Finlander's command is being subjected to increasing pressure, enormous stress and intolerable strain to remain on high alert as if war could be initiated at any time. From an audience point of view, the tension on board the Bedford, mirrors the terrifying state of fear in the world. Helping the audience analyze the situation is Lieut. Cmdr. Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) a naval Doctor who warns the Captain of mounting psychological dangers of his crew. One such officer is Ensign Ralston (James MacArthur) who the doctor warns is wound 'too tight' to be on duty. Another is Seaman Merlin Queffle (Wally Cox) who believes he controls the ship. This is a remarkable film, for it's characters, it's drama and eventually it's inevitable ending. It's a reminder, the fears we create are as real as our nightmares. ****

ericolsen1953 Except for that last scene, I would have enjoyed serving under Finlander. Abrasive to goldbrickers, egotists, newcomers, outsiders and slouches, Finlander indeed had great affection and concern for his men; his actions and reactions always done for effect, deliberate 180-degree switches in attitude depending on whom he was addressing and what he felt he had to accomplish. Imperfect but decent, the Captain is a fascinating study in command and leadership. Reporter Ben Munceford recognizes this, and goes and gets his story, taking extreme chances and getting under the personality at last, gaining Finlander's respect. Eventually, we all watch helplessly as Finlander leads too much by example, becomes what he hates most, an egotist, and completely without knowing it. In the end, this turn of personality kills them all.