La Bataille (1933): A War Drama That Mostly Just Stares

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white period pieces that focus more on longing glances than actual naval strategy, sure, give it a whirl. But if you get restless when a movie spends twenty minutes on a conversation that could have lasted two, stay far away. This one is for the patient folks who don't mind a bit of dusty melodrama.

The whole thing feels like a stage play that someone accidentally dragged in front of a camera. There’s a lot of standing around in fancy uniforms, and honestly, the Japanese naval setting feels more like a costume party than anything truly immersive. Charles Boyer is in it, and he carries himself with that classic charm, but even he looks a little bored by the script sometimes.

Oddly specific observations:

• The lighting in the cabin scenes is so heavy-handed it almost makes the actors look like wax figures.
• I’m pretty sure someone forgot to move the background props in the second act; they stay in the exact same spot for way too long.
• The way Annabella looks at the camera during her big 'sad' scene is… well, it’s a choice. It felt like she was waiting for a bus.

Comparing this to something like Sally in Our Alley, you really notice how much the pacing drags here. It lacks that snappy, quick-witted energy. It’s all very serious, all the time. Sometimes you just want a character to trip over a rope or sneeze, just to prove they’re human.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La bataille (1933) through its definitive frames.

The tension between the British officer and the commander is supposed to be this high-stakes, bubbling-under-the-surface thing. Instead, it comes off like two people trying to decide who gets the last piece of toast at breakfast. It never really clicks.

There’s a weird moment near the end where the ship’s movement (or lack thereof) becomes glaringly obvious. You can tell they’re just rocking the set back and forth while someone off-screen makes 'ocean' noises. It’s cute, in a low-budget way, but it takes you right out of the drama. 🌊

I wouldn't call it a total wash. It has a certain aesthetic charm that most modern stuff just misses. Just don't go in expecting a war epic. It’s really just a quiet, slightly awkward romance in a very stiff collar.