Martin Onassis This movie does Jack London's sailing yarn Sea Wolf real justice for an average budget attempt.One thing that strikes me is how far away we are from the history of the sea in our modern world, and how great London's writing really is in this story, weaving the rawest tenets of human struggle into what was then one of the primary economic engines of the world, the commerce of the ocean-going fishing, whaling, or here, sealing ship. Of course, the sea tale is such a romantic notion, ironic in that it was so tough to actually live, and offers a writer so much because the characters are all stuck together in a constant state of peril from without, and this magnifies the sense of the peril between them.Reeve is brilliant as an educated man of position facing the rawest of worlds far from where he was raised. He runs into another intellectual of sorts, a captain who has scrambled from poverty to occupy a position of pure power, which he holds in purely Machiavellian ways. Reeve's true sensitivity comes out in the role, acting as foil to the pure cynicism of Bronson's Captain Larsen, begging for mercy for others and for good when possible. I kept being struck at how strong, virile, and yet kind and warm Reeve seemed in the role, and the strength he would need as his own life took such an awful turn not long after this movie.Bronson also gets his licks in as a man who has seen empathy repaid with betrayal so many times, he sees empathy only as weakness and vulnerability, and considering his surroundings, he makes an excellent case. The story sets these two forces, two approaches to life against each other, and basically never resolves them, which is good, because a resolution would be too facile. Both men stick to who they are. There are times when Bronson seems less than on, but his previous persona lends itself well here, lending him the previous strength, but I can tell he approached the role in a different way than his other tough guy roles. He created a real weakness in the rigidity of this character and conveys a fairly broken man who still knows how to be a brutal and effective leader. He isn't a wisecracker, here though. He's a weakening man in a tough shell. Bronson is past his peak here, but still rivets the viewer, especially a fan. I would've pegged Bronson for 60 here, but he was 70 when he made this film.THe supporting cast runs the gamut from great to average, with a couple given exceptional moment in London's story. I enjoyed seeing two actors 20+ years later, now both gone. They really were both great.

sol1218 ***SPOILERS*** Fairly good remake of the Jack London classic "The Sea Wolf" with Charles Bronson as the crazed and power hungry Captain Wolf Larsen the most brutal skipper on the high seas. Larson who's obsession with the power and strength of the individual, which he prides himself in, comes from his reading of the Superman theories of human evolution from the writings the German philosopher Frederick Nietzchche. As things soon turn out Larsen is confronted with a true Superman, or the actor who plays him in the movies, Christopher Reeves as the well refined and cultured theater critic and writer Humphrey Van Weyden. It's Van Weyden who ended up on Captin Larsen's schooner "Ghost" after surviving together with pick pocket expert Flaxen Brewster,Catherine Mary Stewart, an accident at sea. It was Flaxen and her pop Reggie, Peter Hayworth,who lifted Humphrey's wallet just before the ferry, the Martinez, that they were on hit a rock and sunk with all aboard.Getting a job on the "Ghost" as a lowly cabin boy "Hump" as Capt. Larsen calls Van Weyden soon sees what a brutal and sadistic water rat he is in treating his crew. It's later when "Hump" gets a bit friendly with the Captain that he realizes that his obsession with power comes from his unhappy childhood that he in fact never had. It's during those tender years that young "Wolfie" was never given a chance to express himself intellectually by him not getting a proper education. This forced Larsen to got out to sea at age 12 to support himself. With his will of iron Capt. Lawsen over the years educated himself to the point that would qualify him to be a professor in some half dozen subjects in both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.It's later that "Hump" discovers that the Captain is slowly losing his eyesight, probably due to a previous fractured skull accident, and the fact that his crew finds that out would mean curtains for him. In them finally raising up against Captain Larsen and throwing him out to sea as shark bait. This makes Captain Larsen more and more unstable which finally leads to a real mutiny where he in fact ends up, without a lifeboat, at sea. But with his superhuman strength and determination Larsen survives to exact bloody vengeance against those who dared to oppose him.***SPOILERS*** While all this is going on both "Hump" and Flaxen checked out on a lifeboat only to end up back in Larson's "Ghost", now a ghost ship, that by then was abandoned and left to sink by it's crew an almost totally blind Captain Larsen helplessly chained to it. It's there that we have the climatic confrontation or the "maine event" between Captain Larsen and "Hump" Van Weyden in who in fact of the two is the real Superman in the movie. The humanistic and felling for his fellow man "Hump" or the brutal and ruthless in treating all those who don't live up to his high Nietzchche like standards of life Captain Wolf Larsen.

Jack_1515 I caught this version of The Sea Wolf when it was originally broadcast and was very pleasantly surprised. Christopher Reeve did his usual excellent job, playing the, literally, wet-behind-the-ears socialite quite out of his element and who must toughen up or die. Although I was at first skeptical of the performance Bronson would turn in, he made the role his own. No one plays stone-faced determination like Bronson and he seems well-suited for this role. It is a rare, noted performance in the classic movie star's latter years. The clash of these two characters, and actors, drives the movie from a slow-burn to a fever-pitch intensity. Although I had read the book, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how Bronson and Reeve would interpret their parts in the next scene.

ma-cortes The film narrates about a cocky young(Christopher Reeve)and a beautiful girl(Catherine Mary Stewart)who are shipwrecked and and picked up by a ship called ¨the Ghost¨commanded by captain Larsen(Charles Bronson) a cruel but clever seaman reader of Shakesphere,Nietzsche,Darwin and Milton(Lost time).They convert themselves in accidental passengers confronting wits and taking on brutal sailors (Clive Revell) and only helped by an alcoholic doctor(Len Cariou) and a good marine(Mark Singer).The picture is a fine television adaptation of a famous novel by Jack London scripted by Andrew J. Fenady(also producer united to Ted Turner). The film has an intelligent characters study,reflecting on the various personages and stunningly playing the tale .Thus,Charles Bronson as the obstinate and brutal captain and obsessed to track down his brother is magnificent.Christopher Reeve(recently deceased)as his contender and with numerous wishes to escape is splendid .Catherine Mary Stewart is enjoyable and enticing.Special mention to support cast, Len Cariou as the kind boozy doctor is excellent and Clive Revell as the nasty cooker who mistreats to Reeve is outstanding. The Black and white classic version novel is the greatest and was directed by Michael Curtiz in 1941 with Edward G. Robinson(Larsen),Alexander Knox(Reeve's role),Ida Lupino(Catherine Stewart's role) and John Garfield(Singer's role). The flick will like to seafaring adventure genre enthusiastic and of course Bronson and Reeve fans. Rating : Well worthwhile seeing.