Blending actual newsreel footage with the affecting personal tales at its center, this fine British action film tells the story of the heroic defense of Malta during WW II. Alec Guinness delivers a strong performance as Peter Ross, an archaeologist turned reconnaissance pilot pressed into
service during a stopover on the embattled island. Deeply touched by the spirit of its indomitable people, he becomes part of the British effort to defend the island fortress against the fascist onslaught, and, in the process, falls in love with Maria (Muriel Pavlow), a pretty Maltese woman. Ross
risks (and eventually loses) his life on flights that provide valuable information about German and Italian strategy, while the film's main subplot concerns the struggle by Maria's mother (Flora Robson) to understand her son, who not only isn't a patriot but, ultimately, is revealed to be
collaborating with the enemy.
