nickenchuggets Review of The Sea Wolf

The Sea Wolf (1941)

Edward G Robinson's vicious portrayal of a ship captain doesn't disappoint

[10/10 · 1 May 2021]

With EGR being one of my favorite people to observe in front of a camera, it's not a mystery why this movie is so special to me. The plot concerns itself with a guy leaving California on a ship which crashes into another, leaving the ship sunk. They are later discovered and hauled aboard a vessel that resembles a pirate ship, with the ship's captain played by none other than Robinson. Robinson's portrayal of this violent and horrid man is nothing short of magical. In fact, he does it so convincingly that it even makes someone like me hate him throughout the movie. "Wolf" Larsen, as he is known, is volatile, irritable, and a bully. He takes pleasure in making fun of and physically abusing members of his own crew, and hardly anyone dares to step out of line. Many of the best parts in the movie come from the drama that occurs between him and John Garfield's character, who is also admirably portrayed. It is very obvious that they hate each other, but Larsen has no choice but to keep this vagabond on his ship because he doesn't want to look like a heartless killer. Later in the film, the ship's crew start to revolt against him after it is discovered that he is partially blind, and his increasingly violent and homicidal urges continue to up the ante. Robinson in the film is a bit of a walking oxymoron, as he somehow manages to be the most likable and most despicable person in it, but there are other standouts as well. My favorite lesser character in this movie has to be the ships chef, Cookie, played amazingly by Barry Fitzgerald. When he and Garfield meet for the first time in the galley, the tension in the room is palpable. It becomes clear that they immediately hate each other, but Cookie is essentially nothing more than a servant of Larsen, and so he doesn't kill him. To sum it up, it's a shame that this movie isn't more well known because it really is good, and movies that feature old style ships are always calming to me, in spite of the hostile nature of Robinson in the film.