Ice Station Zebra (1968)

	Directed by: John Sturges	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller/Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE SOS Nordpolen RUNNING TIME 148 minutes
	Produced by: Martin Ransohoff
	Written by (based on the novel by Alistair MacLean): Douglas Heyes

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Commander James Ferraday	Rock Hudson	½
Boris Vaslov	Ernest Borgnine	½
David Jones of MI6	Patrick McGoohan
Captain Leslie Anders	Jim Brown	½
1st Lieutenant Russell Walker	Tony Bill
Admiral Garvey	Lloyd Nolan
Colonel Ostrovsky	Alf Kjellin

Review

Based on one of Alistair MacLean's many post-war political spy-thrillers, Ice Station Zebra seemingly has all the ingredients necessary for a tight, suspenseful and relevant thriller. The plot is clever and aptly layered, the submarine and arctic setting provide a perfect backdrop for a cold war stalemate, and the three leads make up an interesting and balanced trio. And it starts off well, albeit slowly, with the film retaining a good deal of tension while we get to know the crew and conditions on the USS Tigerfish. However, as we move out of the water, things start to falter. Firstly, the badly constructed "arctic" studio, complete with unimpressive theatrical snow and icebergs, does little to enhance the illusion, and appears in stern contrast to the fine underwater miniature effects. And secondly, John Sturges' direction becomes muddy; he loses command over the plot, which is presented in a scattered manner and not without vapid simplifications. In retrospect, these negatives make the film look more dated and less relevant than it should have, much unlike another MacLean adaptation of the same year, Where Eagles Dare.