Breaking down "Bedford"

"The Bedford Incident" plays out as a fitting conclusion of sorts to an unofficial Cold War/cautionary nuclear annihilation trilogy preceded by "Dr. Strangelove" and "Fail-Safe," both released a year earlier. All films end with nightmarish visions of mushroom clouds. But "Bedford," although arguably not as memorable as the other two films, is a meritorious vessel in its own right worthy of analysis. Here's how CineVerse dissected the picture:

WHAT IS DIFFERENT, DISTINCTIVE AND UNIQUE ABOUT “THE BEDFORD INCIDENT” FOR A 1965 FILM?

• Consider the chilling topical relevance and timeliness of this picture: This was just a few years removed from the tension and terror of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was still fresh in Americans’ minds, and it came at the height of the Cold War when many people believed nuclear annihilation could happen anytime.

• While the movie isn’t sympathetic to the Communists, the Russians aren’t necessarily depicted as the evil villains here; instead, the villain is Finlander himself and what he represents. Also, we aren’t shown the perspective of the Soviets at all—there are no counterpoint characters shown from the other sub, nor is the Big Red sub shown at all, for that matter.

• Tied in with this thought is that, while the movie points a finger at the dangerous mindset and attitude of Finlander, it doesn’t try to throw the entire U.S. military or U.S. government or our country’s stance during the Cold War under the bus. Remember that Finlander receives telegrams from NATO ordering him to wait on any military action, and he was denied a promotion to Admiral based on his backing of military action during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

• Interestingly, the film could be seen as both an anti-war picture and as a pro-military picture that offers a cautionary tale about the dangers of a rogue leader and unchecked power of one or more members of the military. The movie is admirable for taking a critical stand of Cold War politics, especially the policy of nuclear deterrence, at the height of the Cold War.

• Also, the casting of Poitier is interesting: the role was not written for an African American, and could have been played by anyone; by giving him this character, the filmmakers were demonstrating a culturally and racially progressive attitude—essentially practicing “colorblind casting (that) would mean more diversity in film, TV and theatrical productions and wider job opportunities for actors of color…the decision to ignore the blackness of Poitier’s character suggests an  attempt to create a unanimity of opposition against Finlander’s darkly ‘patriotic’ military zeal,” wrote critic Karla Rae Fuller.

• The ending is abrupt, surprising and shocking, especially for its time.
• The choice to use black and white is also interesting at a time when color dominated and black and white was on the decline, but appropriate, considering the documentary-like style of the movie and newsreel/news footage look the filmmakers were going for (TV viewers watching coverage of the Vietnam war on their sets were predominantly watching in black and white, too).

• Lastly, this is a thriller, but a slow burn one in that it’s not loaded with action sequences or daring sub chase scenes; the pacing can be slow, as we wait a long time for action to happen. The real action here is the tension and fireworks between the characters on The Bedford.

WHAT THEMES ARE ESPOUSED BY THIS FILM?

• The danger of military aggression driven or excused by patriotic zeal 

• How absolute power corrupts absolutely

• The danger of over-relying on technology (nuclear subs and missiles) while ignoring the potential for human error and human misbehavior

THIS STORY BEARS OBVIOUS PARALLELS TO “MOBY DICK.” CAN YOU CITE SOME OF THE SIMILARITIES?

• Finlander is like Ahab—ruthless, driven, inflexible.

• The “Big Red” Soviet sub plays the part of the white whale.

• The Bedford stands in as the Pequod.

• Munceford is a modern day Ishmael, although the former has a lot more face to face interaction and conflict with his ship’s commander than the latter. Like Ishmael, Munceford serves as the surrogate for the viewer/reader—the “eyes and ears” of the audience in that, like him, we know little about submarines or military matters, and we learn as Munceford learns.

WHAT IS INTERESTING OR INSIGHTFUL ABOUT THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS?

• “Finlander”: makes you think of a cold foreign land like Finland; Also, “fin” and “lander” conjures up images of a master of both water and land

• “Munceford”: “munce” is a person carrying out an act of stupidity, and a “ford” is a shallow part of a body of water; thus, in Finlander’s eyes, Munceford could be thought of as an unintelligent, inexperienced landlubber.

• “Potter”: a potter is a sensitive craftsman or artisan who sculpts with his hands, suggesting a person who takes a more personal, human approach to his work and contact, in stark contrast to Finlander’s approach.

• “Schrepke”: The first part of his name sound German, foreign, and coldly mysterious; the second part is “key”, hinting that this character, while foreign, is the key to helping Finlander make the right informed decision.

• “Ralston”: In the 1960s, the Ralston Purina company was a household name known for making products like dog food. This name could connote a loyal, but lowly, lackey who becomes “dog food” to Finlander in that the captain doesn’t like or respect him, and Ralston can only exercise blind obedience without having any power.

• “Queffle”: sounds like a combination between “quaff” (meaning “to drink deeply”) and “trifle” (meaning a piddling, small amount). Hence, this moniker suggests that Queffle drinks deeply of Finlander’s style of leadership, but he is merely a small, trifling cog in the captain’s wheel.

WHAT OTHER FILMS OR STORIES REMIND YOU OF “THE BEDFORD INCIDENT”?

• Two previous films of this era that, with “Bedford Incident,” form a sort of Cold War/nuclear age movie trilogy: “Dr. Strangelove” and “Fail Safe”

• Other submarine action thrillers like “The Hunt for Red October,” “Crimson Tide” and “Das Boot”; the latter is particularly similar in that we don’t see the perspective of the enemies of the main characters.

• “The Caine Mutiny” and “Mutiny on the Bounty”, both featuring dangerously rigid captains