The Commander is in cinemas 6 December from Bulldog Film Distribution
Crowd-pleasing… Real-life WW2 heroism’
The Wrap
‘Played with warmth and gravitas by the wonderful Pierfrancesco Favino’
In Review
‘Exciting…ambitious, handsome, and unabashedly Italian.’
Loud & Clear
‘Exquisite cinematography…But there’s plenty of gritty substance and tension to go with the style. This is gripping stuff.’
Film Ink
The Commander tells the remarkable true story of Second World War submarine captain Salvatore Todaro, his vessel the Cappellini, and the unlikely moment that follows his crew coming under fire in October 1940. A brief but violent battle ensues which ends when Todaro sinks the opposing ship – and it is at this point that the commander reaches a decision that is destined to make history: to rescue the 26 Belgian survivors, who would otherwise have been condemned to drown in the middle of the ocean, and to disembark them at the nearest safe harbour, as required by the law of the sea. To take them all on board, he is forced to sail on the surface for three days, making himself visible to the enemy, risking his own life and those of his men…
The opening film at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, The Commander is directed by Edoardo De Angelis and stars Pierfrancesco Favino (The Traitor, Rush, World War Z) in an epic, thrilling WWII drama based on the true story of a naval commander who sank ships but saved men.
