Western Approaches (film)

Western Approaches (released in the US as The Raider) is a 1944 British war film directed by Pat Jackson. It is notable for its semi-documentary style and its focus on the Battle of the Atlantic from the perspective of ordinary merchant seamen.

The film follows the harrowing experiences of survivors from a British merchant ship torpedoed by a German U-boat. It depicts their struggle for survival in lifeboats, their hopes of rescue, and the psychological toll of the constant threat of enemy attack and the harsh conditions of the open ocean.

Unusually for the time, the film employed actual merchant seamen to portray the survivors, lending a significant degree of authenticity to the performances and the overall depiction of life at sea during wartime. Professional actors were used for the German U-boat crew and some of the naval personnel.

Western Approaches was filmed using innovative techniques, including filming on location in the Atlantic and using color film stock (Technicolor) to capture the vastness and drama of the ocean setting. The film is admired for its realism, its compelling narrative, and its contribution to the British war effort by highlighting the vital role of the Merchant Navy in keeping Britain supplied. The film's title refers to the sea lanes west of the British Isles through which most of Britain's wartime supplies arrived. These waters were heavily contested by German U-boats.