This superior wartime submarine story is about an American captain (Gable) who seeks to avenge the loss of an earlier ship to a Japanese destroyer by perfecting a very difficult "bow shot" technique that would enable him to torpedo this fast moving enemy head on. Burt Lancaster portrays his popular XO who ought, originally, to have had that command but has been passed over; and the film depicts the evolution of their taut and mistrusting relationship. Gable is on good form as his character treads a very thin line between reason and obsession and Lancaster works hard to keep himself and the crew... read the rest.