John Mills did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Captain Anson, nor did Harry Andrews for portraying M.S.M. Pugh, or Anthony Quayle, despite receiving a BAFTA nomination, for portraying Captain van der Poel in Ice Cold in Alex.
The film is given its genius wrinkle with the introduction of a Afrikkaner soldier they find in the desert, Captain van der Poel played by Anthony Quayle. Quayle is an actor I have liked, though this is the type of performance to completely adjust your perspective of his talents, because where other performances of his are often of the British of the stiff upper lip in one way or another, this is an extreme departure from that. The most obvious aspect being his South African accent he is using, but that's not the half of it, or even a quarter of it, though effective within itself. Quayle's whole demeanor here is of a different nature entirely as he's much more just thrusting himself across the screen and making his presence known here. Quayle instantly makes a statement with this boisterousness and even a bit of bawdy manners of the man, who seems almost too happy to be in the middle of this desert and ready to join this group. This group that almost immediately this Captain begins to hector more than a bit. Quayle brings this knowing smile but also speaks up most dominantly in his delivery that is more than a touch dismissive of his compatriots. And Quayle's approach here is so different from so many of his performances, as he transforms entirely as van der Poel, as not only is he not the stiff upper lip, rather he's the guy almost making fun of that whole notion with the way he goes about prodding Captain Anson, and smirks as though the man knows far more than he should at any given point.
And this is where the film truly takes off to greatness because now we have a tight knit group of characters to bounce off of. And we have an interesting dynamic that develops between the group of Diana trying to figure out each man in her way, then the other three each taking on a different role. Mills successfully does the very difficult thing which is part of the defining quality of his performance is his character's inconsistencies. Being inconsistent is an easy way simply to seem inconsistent in one's performance, however Mills avoids such a pitfall by showing essentially it is a mix between the past of Anson and the present. His performance for example when showing the South African Captain the way around a mind field, there is a conviction in his manner even if there is also a hectic urgency about him. This is in contrast with Quayle's performance where he seems to have pure confidence in his manner towards Mills and basically shows the Captain who seemingly has it all together, even laughing off the British Captain's alcoholism regardless. Mills though earns the moment where the South African Captain makes his first brush with death where he thinks he's stepped on a mine, and there's suddenly the switch so naturally by both performers. As Quayle presents bluntly the intensity of fear on the man's face, meanwhile Mills becomes perhaps the confident man of old as he goes down and reveals the would be mine is nothing but a bean can. However that is all in contrast to when the group comes across a German patrol, where Mills's reaction is powerful in showing really all the PTSD within the man as he in all fear drives to drive away from the German and truly becomes a man petrified in his fear. With Mills being wholly convincing in revealing just what the man has been putting away with drink for this time. Of course this is contrasting suddenly when they stop Quayle showing his Captain taking charge with such ease and manner as he claims to speak German, even passively claiming that the Germans wouldn't have shot at them, which fatally wounded Denise, if Anson hadn't tried to run.
After two close calls with the Germans, where Quayle's character somehow talks them out of capture each time, the film becomes fully a survival tale as the remaining disparate four need to try to make their way through the desert. And again, these performers are great in crafting this dynamic between them. Mills portrays so effectively the arc of the man just barely hanging on at times, and we see the pouring of guilt when he believes he might've cost a life in his panicking as he confides in Diane. His vulnerability is so potent and powerful, while also showing what it is that the man needs to overcome to get his crew back home safely. Andrews is the safety factor of it all, and again I love just how different he is here. He's just this warm bath of sunshine in such a convincing way. You sense in every interaction the care of the man for others. His eyes denote the great emotional intelligence of the man, as empathy just exudes from every moment. I love that even in a scene where he goes to spy on Quayle's character to see what secret the man may be hiding from the others, Andrews even portrays this with more curiosity than complete suspicion. Andrews even delivering the words that accuse the man of being false, Andrews is able to capture it as concern, rather distaste still and always shows his Pugh to really be the best sort of man at every turn in such a convincing way. And then there's Quayle, who gives a performance that is in itself just fascinating to watch in everything he does. Quayle portrays sort of this ideal combination between the man with this disarming pseudo friendly manner that also cuts into the other's confidence at the same time. He seems calm, yet at other moments Quayle denotes a certain fear and suspicion in others as the Captain always insists on going off with his kit, and shovel on his own.
Where the film is unquestionably a true ensemble within how each actor portrays the survival elements of the story. You feel the heat, you feel the drought, you feel the burden as each actor portrays the weight of the situation on them. And that the exasperation of every set back, but also the glee of every success is powerfully felt within each actor. However no actor more powerfully realizes these survival scenes than Quayle. In particular one scene where they are making repairs on the truck and the South African Captain is under the truck, eventually holding up the truck partially as they try to fix it. The whole sequence is frankly amazing, and really kind of a modern scene in terms of the use of editing and slow motion at times, but also the visceral greatness of Quayle's performance. You feel the tension, you feel his pain, you feel every moment of the danger in his performance. But if that wasn't enough, there's two scenes of the ilk that are specific physical scenes of performance. The second SPOILERS stems from the other trio figuring that he is likely a spy for the Germans, one being his ease of getting them away from the Germans, but also his tendency to go alone with his pack he doesn't let the others see, that is eventually revealed to be a radio where he has been checking in. The trio rather than expose him, instead lead him into a mud trap to force him to lose his radio, though then go about rescuing him from the pit. Quayle again is great in revealing the simple horror of being stuck in the mud pit as he's slowly sinking into it, and struggles to survive as the others do attempt to help him. Again Quayle makes the situation feel entirely real, and is essential to the sequence. As much as the character of the duplicitous Captain should be villainous, thanks to the excellent script and Quayle's performance he's so much more than that, as he becomes one of the people just trying to survive this ordeal.
Eventually we find the group trying to find one seemingly insurmountable hill to overcome it. And each fills their roles, and each performer does the same. Quayle again is great because where the character's intentions seem often so mysterious where he is straightforward is when we see his conviction in going about helping the others. Andrews again is ever the reliable one as Pugh and even as others get tense, I love the modest affirming qualities of Andrews work. Even when he loses a bit of heart, Andrews projects the sadness more so for concern of the other's well being and so naturally makes Pugh this sincere force for good. Mills on the other hand is all over the place, but in the right way. As he shows kind of a breaking point, that is also the man at perhaps his best, as he shows the man pushing everyone to help getting up being the motivator, but doing it in a way that is near mania in the push. What Mills thought emphasizes though is the lack of fear now, even if definitely having moments of frustration, we see the passionate conviction of the man, the power even as he pushes all the men to keep going. And as a group, you honestly get caught up in every moment of defeat but also success, because of the strength of these performances and how they work off one another. The actors build towards and earn the ending of the film, which is building towards, well an, "ice cold" lager in Alex. And I think this is where most films I would object to the idea of the man who is taken to drink getting the reward of a drink by the end of the film. And I think maybe I would even as written if it were not for Mills's performance. Because Mills takes the moment of reaching the bar, and even before the drink, it is no longer with desperate need, but rather this calm specific satisfaction of a man, quenching his thirst rather than drowning his sorrows. He earns this transition. Speaking of transitions, we have one left bit of business as the three decide to expose Quayle's Captain as a Nazi, but not as a Nazi spy, to avoid a death sentence. And again, earned just in the chemistry you sense between the actors that you understand as a proper unit has been through hell, and in each interaction you sense the warmth between all of them. To the point that Quayle's manner is just as one of them loving the moment of victory together, before they all quietly let him know they're going to expose him, though in the safest way possible for him. Quayle's reaction to this dynamite as he instantly captures the immediate surprise and realization of the man, the calculation, before accepting their choice. Quayle now switched to a German accent, and a changed man, though one would like to think it was more the journey than just revealing his real accent. And Quayle's final moment of thanking the crew and accepting them as more than the enemy is beautifully done because he delivers it so modestly, accentuating the man having now lost his pompous disregard and learned from his experience. Every performance here is terrific in this film, all four, Andrews again being a constant as the always caring right hand man, Quayle being absolutely dynamic and showing off a range I wasn't fully aware of, and Mills giving his very best performance by vividly realizing both the weakness and strength of his character in every moment.
(Andrews)
(Quayle)
(Mills)
