WWII tale of Malta under siege. Nothing special, but worthy film on neglected if not forgotten subject. Good cast, though Guinness is disappointing.

Worthy war story on a worthy subject is quite good when it sticks to the combat, but bogs down when it comes to the inevitable romantic subplots. Hawkins and Truman stand out among a generally fine cast. Guinness, however, is another story - all of his scenes performed with a distant, slightly smirking expression, as if he is far too good for the material. All well and good; after all, Oliver Reed made a career out of doing the same thing. Guinness lobbied hard for this role as a way of breaking out of "funny little men" roles, though, which makes his odd performance all the more distracting. Still, a fine salute to Malta and her defenders, helped by a finely understated ending that only British filmmakers seem to be able to make.

Note: Many of the actors listed as unconfirmed must have had their roles cut, as certainly did Peter Bull as a flying officer. Contrary to what IMDb states, it is not John Meillon playing the sub commander; the actor would have been 19 at the time!