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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hell Below remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school naval grit mixed with messy romantic drama, you might get a kick out of Hell Below. If you hate movies where the war stuff stops dead so the hero can have a long, awkward chat in a fancy living room, stay away. It’s definitely a product of its time.
The submarine stuff is actually pretty intense for a film from 1933. You get these cramped, sweaty shots inside the boat that feel legitimately claustrophobic. It makes the moments when they’re just sitting around in their dress uniforms feel weirdly jarring, like someone stitched two different movies together.
Robert Montgomery is doing his usual charm-the-pants-off-everyone routine. He plays Knowlton with this smug, dangerous energy that makes you wonder why anyone would ever trust him with a submarine. It’s hard to tell if he’s a genius or just a guy who got lucky with his torpedo aim.
There is this one scene where he’s flirting with Madge Evans that feels like it lasts for three years. The dialogue is so stiff you could build a house with it. Wait, did he just say that? It’s kind of funny if you don’t try to take it seriously.
Jimmy Durante is in this? Yeah, he’s there, doing his usual thing. It feels like he wandered off the set of a musical and took a wrong turn into a submarine bunker. Every time he opens his mouth, the tone of the movie snaps in half.
The court-martial sequence is... fine. It’s got that classic "guy who did the right thing the wrong way" vibe. It reminded me a bit of the heavy-handed moralizing in Crime and Punishment, just with more water.
The ending is pure melodrama. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say there’s a lot of staring into the middle distance and noble sacrifices. It’s not subtle, but it’s hard not to get caught up in it anyway.
It’s not a masterpiece, and honestly, the pacing is all over the place. But it’s got a weird, frantic energy that kept me watching. Sometimes, that’s all you really need. ⚓️