The Riddle of the Sands

My dad sent The Riddle of the Sands along before he'd even had the chance to watch it himself, so I pretty much have to watch it, don't I?

The movie starts with a young Englishman named Davies sailing along the German coast in 1901. He's there because he wants to chart the sandbars and update the sea charts, as all the ones in England are woefully out of date. He has dinner with a German yachter named Dollman, his daughter Clara, and a member of the German Navy, and explains this is why he's here. Next thing you know, Germans are poking through his boat while he's away. That combined with another incident when he tries to follow Dollman further into the Baltic, convinces him to write his friend Carruthers (Michael York) in the Foreign Office. Carruthers travels to Germany and the two set to snooping, though Carruthers does not take to life on the cramped confines. The ultimate revelation is Germany plans to pull those barges (loaded with soldiers) across the sea and attack Britain's unprotected east coast. So it's up to Carruthers and Davies to try and short-circuit that. Somehow.

For a film that's primarily an espionage film (two guys trying to thwart an entire nation with wits and resolve), it's not what I'd call a tense movie. I never found myself on the edge of my seat. The bit where Davies navigates them right to an island in a blinding fog was a nice bit, but it felt inevitable he'd lead them true. The strongest part of the film was the interplay between Carruthers and Davies. Carruthers trying to adjust to life on the boat, dealing with Davies, but recognizing Davies' affection for Carla and trying to avoid damaging that for his friend.