In 1942, during the peak of World War II, an undercover group of men completed “Operation Postmaster,” a daring mission to cut off supplies to German U-boats. These powerful “Unterseeboots” were submarines used by the Nazis. They had high striking missiles so transporting goods and people across the Atlantic was difficult for opposing forces. The movie “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” directed by Guy Ritche, is an action packed comedy based on this true story.
The movie started with a bang, immediately showing the main characters Gus March-Phillips, (Henry Cavill) and Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson) pretending to be Swedish fishermen to a crew of Nazi patrol officers. When they’re discovered to be faking their identity, the first of many crazy fight scenes entails.
We are introduced to the unusual but highly skilled fighting tactics these men have, such as backflips, knives, machine guns, ropes and any other ninja-like move you can think of. The movie does a great job of balancing brutal injuries with comedic relief. On the outside the scenes in this movie are very harsh, but you never see any gory scenes and the movie does a good job of keeping it lighthearted.
The movie then flashes back to about a month prior, where we see the Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, meeting with Gus to recruit him to a “unauthorized and unsanctioned” mission. He specifically chose the crew of men due to their determination and unruliness. Their mission is to sink the Italian ship “The Duchessa.”
Meanwhile on the island of Fernando Po (where the team is heading), SOE agents Marjorie Stewart (Eiza Gonzalez) and Richard Heron (Babs Olosumokun) are preparing the island for their arrival. Richard Hero had established himself at multiple bars and casinos on the island as a British spy, and routinely served high ranking Nazis. Their plan was to seduce high ranking Nazi general Brigadier Gubb and throw an elaborate party on the night of the plan.
I really liked the character of Marjorie Stewart as she was a powerful woman. She was super smart and often described as “sly” in the movie. I was even happier when at the end of the movie it was revealed she was a real spy for Britain in WWII.
One thing I noticed about the movie was the bright saturation of the movie. As the men cross the atlantic, the bright blue sea is always in the background, so it makes the visual aspect of the movie more appealing. I also think this was a contributing factor to making the movie feel more light hearted, with bright coloring and fun imagery.
The movie also featured beautiful landscapes. They sail across the sea, climb a cliff and explore an island, and producers did an amazing job capturing the scenery. The film was actually shot in Antalya, Turkey and this contributed pleasing environments for the film.
At the end of the movie there was a small slideshow at the end showing the real life characters, and what they did after. I personally love when movies do this because it doesn’t leave the movie on a cliffhanger. Overall I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was a good balance between comedy and historical content. I would definitely recommend the movie.
“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare:” ★★★★★
