The Spy in Black
...making Finnish subs for this is a pain in the arse. How am I supposed to know WWI German U-boat terminology? When they talk about "auxiliaries", do they talk about extra engines, some electric circuit thingies, propellers or ballast tanks? Because I tried to look it up and I am more confused than when I started. AUXILIARY SOMETHING CAN MEAN AUXILIARY ANYTHING. And what the fuck does "flat fives" mean? Google only brings up music terms. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THIS CRAP? I mean, it works fine when I watch it and I get the tension and all that and that bits of the submarine get turned on and off and they slow down and shit when they navigate through a minefield, so I get what's happening, but... gaah!
Also, the amount of thick Scottish accents and Connie's German one aren't helping either. I still have no fucking idea what the bitchy nanny says to the slightly dim girl servant in bits. How can people do this for a living?
The writing and the direction is just so superb, though. The way they foreshadow the princess's Anne Burnett's fate is just so... brrr. I am inclined to think Pressburger was also a total sex maniac because the amount of subtle sex jokes is just staggering; Christ. It's so hard to believe this was the first film he and Powell worked together on because it just holds together so well. Little bits like the evil old German agent woman saying Burnett's husband-to-be is a good looking man and THEN WE CUT TO THE BLATANTLY BUTCH LESBIAN CHAUFFEUSE (well, it *is* Mary Morris again) and oh god.
Also, speaking of slaaash, I seriously find it HILARIOUS how this movie is... like... like the butchest Connie ever got and ALL THE OTHER GUYS ARE GAY FOR HIM. No, look, his fellow submarine officers basically adore him:
Especially baby Marius Goring is all fucking over him:
But that's ok because they are at this level of bromantic comfort and I just hope a certain Dr. Freud wasn't watching because come the fuck on:
And then Anakin Skywalker can't fucking stop staring at him (wasn't Sebastian Shaw bi IRL, BTW?):
And then shit like this happens and I'm like ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING ANAKIN I MEAN YOU ARE A FUCKING SAILOR BUT STILL
Also, seriously. When the orderly asks the receptionist at the hotel where he can try and find Captain Hardt? "Try the Turkish baths at Königsstrasse." OKAY. I... just... yeah. The amount of slash in this movie is just... I... it's just, basically, staggering.
Also, the amount of thick Scottish accents and Connie's German one aren't helping either. I still have no fucking idea what the bitchy nanny says to the slightly dim girl servant in bits. How can people do this for a living?
The writing and the direction is just so superb, though. The way they foreshadow the princess's Anne Burnett's fate is just so... brrr. I am inclined to think Pressburger was also a total sex maniac because the amount of subtle sex jokes is just staggering; Christ. It's so hard to believe this was the first film he and Powell worked together on because it just holds together so well. Little bits like the evil old German agent woman saying Burnett's husband-to-be is a good looking man and THEN WE CUT TO THE BLATANTLY BUTCH LESBIAN CHAUFFEUSE (well, it *is* Mary Morris again) and oh god.
Also, speaking of slaaash, I seriously find it HILARIOUS how this movie is... like... like the butchest Connie ever got and ALL THE OTHER GUYS ARE GAY FOR HIM. No, look, his fellow submarine officers basically adore him:
Especially baby Marius Goring is all fucking over him:
But that's ok because they are at this level of bromantic comfort and I just hope a certain Dr. Freud wasn't watching because come the fuck on:
And then Anakin Skywalker can't fucking stop staring at him (wasn't Sebastian Shaw bi IRL, BTW?):
And then shit like this happens and I'm like ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING ANAKIN I MEAN YOU ARE A FUCKING SAILOR BUT STILL
Also, seriously. When the orderly asks the receptionist at the hotel where he can try and find Captain Hardt? "Try the Turkish baths at Königsstrasse." OKAY. I... just... yeah. The amount of slash in this movie is just... I... it's just, basically, staggering.