Valerie Hobson truly distinguishes herself within this shadowy, suspenseful wartime spy story centered on a German U-boat commander (Conrad Veidt) dispatched to the Orkney Islands during World War One to obtain information about the British Grand Fleet. Coming out at the beginning of the Second World War, Powell and Pressburger’s initial collaboration possesses a considerably more foreboding atmosphere than what one …

It's recognized as an important film—so much so that it was selected for restoration as part of a national program. The film is enjoyable, and while I am not particularly familiar with spy movies, it does deviate from typical thriller conventions in some respects. A significant portion of the narrative unfolds from the viewpoint of the antagonists, which is comparable to imagining *The Alamo* portrayed through the…