'Greyhound' Review: Tom Hanks steals the spotlight as Commander Krause in the compelling WWII drama
Spoiler-free review for 'Greyhound'
'Greyhound' was meant to be a theatrical release and the outbreak of the pandemic meant the Tom Hanks-written World War II drama had to be released on Apple TV+. Paramount sold it to the streaming network and the film is all set to debut this Friday, July 10 and those subscribed will have a chance to watch the riveting drama. Running at 90 minutes, Hanks ensures the script is nice and tight and manages to capture just enough emotions of Commander Ernest Krause, the captain of USS Keeling (Call sign 'Greyhound').
Hanks' Krause is a career officer who is finally handed command of a vessel and his mission is to protect a convoy of 37 ships. With each of these containing essential supplies and soldiers, Krause must navigate the treacherous 'Black Pit', an area of the Atlantic Ocean for five days fending off and destroying Nazi U-boats in the absence of air cover. 'Greyhound' is a real-life event: The Battle of Atlantic that took place only months after the United States stepped into WWII.
The backdrop is gloomy, there is unpredictability and danger circling around like sharks and then there's Krause who does his level best of protecting these vessels. It's just a pity that his first stint as captain puts him extremely rough waters. The focus of the entire film is Krause as Aaron Schneider makes sure the skipper is the one calling the shots and each emotion of his is captured to near perfection. Krause's knowledge is immense, but his battle acumen is tested when they face a tough and relentless Nazi attack.
It isn't an easy task as Krause and his men skillfully execute their battle plans, but the wolfpack of Nazi ships retaliate relentlessly. Barring the opening 10 minutes, the film uses to set the context, the rest of it is all about the scrimmage with the U-boats that prove to be a major threat for the 'Greyhound'. The two things working in favor of Krause is the respect of the men he has at his disposal and the support of the escort groups. At one point, things go south for the vessel as they take some hits and lose lives in the process.
Borrowed from the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by CS Forester, Hanks and Schneider pick the most pivotal parts of the book and bring it to life on the big screen. In Stephen Graham's Charlie Cole and Elisabeth Shue's Evie, there are two strong support pillars for Krause. Rob Morgan as Mess head, Cleveland, plays his role to perfection and is instrumental to the film. By the time the film touches the midway point, Krause's character is fully explained— he is a man of honor and he hates bloodshed.
These two traits are something Hanks brings out impeccably. In the heat of the battle, he still manages to stay composed and polite. It's not often the second quality that is observed at a time of war, but that's Krause. The film does a great job of making sure Krause doesn't face internal politics on his ship. It is clear he's earned their respect and not a single move is questioned. Not by Charlie, nor the men who dutifully follow his orders.
The message is simple. What makes a good leader? Is it the relationship, the rational split-second decisions, or both? And at what cost? Hanks demonstrates both these qualities and perhaps that sets him apart even as he silently suffers for taking lives, even if it had to be the bad guys. 'Greyhound' is richly complemented by Shelly Johnson's ('Captain America: The First Avenger') cinematography and Blake Neely's score.
The wish is still there. Considering the effects and the hard work that went into the project, the film should have been a theatrical release. However, the fact the film wasn't significantly delayed like some of its fellow blockbusters comes as a relief. To sum up, 'Greyhound' can be the perfect Friday fix.
'Greyhound' releases Friday, July 10 on Apple TV+.