The Riddle of the Sands

1979 "In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them."
6.4| 1h43m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 02 October 1979 Released
Producted By: The Rank Organisation
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

In the early years of the 20th Century, two British yachtsmen (Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale) stumble upon a German plot to invade the east coast of England in a flotilla of specially designed barges. They set out to thwart this terrible scheme, but must outwit not only the cream of the German Navy, but the feared Kaiser Wilhelm himself.

Genre

Drama, Action

Watch Online

The Riddle of the Sands (1979) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Tony Maylam

Production Companies

The Rank Organisation

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

Stream on any device, 30-day free trial
Watch Now
The Riddle of the Sands Videos and Images
View All

The Riddle of the Sands Audience Reviews

Karry Best movie of this year hands down!
Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Portia Hilton Blistering performances.
Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
TheLittleSongbird The book is an absolute classic, but it is not a very easy one to adapt at all. While not quite succeeding, Riddle of the Sands is a very solid film. It is quite slow in places and the actor playing Kaiser is very wooden. However, the film is beautifully shot, with striking locations, interesting fashions and exquisite photography. Howard Blake's haunting score compliments the mood of the film brilliantly and the story and the script are very interesting. The sailing scenes are excellently done, and there is a fine cast, excepting Kaiser. Michael York and Simon McCorkindale are excellent, actually in regards to McCorkindale I don't think I have seen him this good before, while Alan Badel is appropriately sinister and Jenny Agutter provides an emotional weight that wasn't there in the book but was welcome here. So all in all, solid and worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox
justincward OK as an very undemanding post-Sunday-lunch 'family' film, but the script of TROTS (note acronym) is an unthrilling as it is possible to be. Every scene is completely linear; they get in a boat, they row somewhere, they get out. It's as though somebody released a home movie of a foggy holiday - which is actually the plot.The music is relied upon to bring tension to any scene where there's supposed to be suspense, but only succeeds in being obtrusive. Try 'The Fog' for a movie that achieves suspense without the audience being able to see anything. TROTS is little more than a bad radio play with not-very-clear pictures.On a historical accuracy note, no Oxbridge sportsman would have been seen dead with hair that long in 1901; and that would have raised suspicion - at least of their aesthetic temperament - wherever they went. That this is not addressed illustrates how seriously the film-makers of TROTS took themselves.
aussiebrisguy This must be one of my favourite films. It is so beautifully made and features a wonderful cast. Simon MacCorkindale is really great alongside Michael York who always puts is a great performance. Jenny Agutter is so beautiful and works so well beside the two male leads. This film captures the whole period very well and is a real boys own adventure sort of film. Alan Badel is great as Dollman as is Olga Dowe as his cranky wife Frau Dollman. She is the perfect foil for the beautiful Agutter. The baddies in this film are really great. What a shame we don't see more performances from Juergen Andersen, Michael Sheard, Hans Meyer and Wolf Kahler. I particularly like the scene where Michael York is in town having his breakfast. It is delightful and sums up his stiff upper lip Englishness. The village where he breakfasts is also truly delightful. Don't miss the beautiful scene on the beach with Agutter either. Do see it as you will enjoy the journey if you like romantic adventure films. It is beautiful.
beeryusa Whenever I surf over to IMDb I always seem to find forgotten classics that are unavailable in any format. This is another example of a great movie which never seems to resurface on VHS or DVD. At least this one was released on video at one time and can be found at secondhand vendors.No one has ever done a better job of transferring this lesser-known classic story to the screen. Michael York, Simon McCorkindale and Jenny Agutter are seldom better than they are here in quiet and understated performances. The director achieves the very spirit of the book in a seemingly effortless manner.Such a pity that no one who has the ability to resurrect this movie thinks it worthy of the DVD treatment it deserves.