Review by Keith Emmerson
Stars John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Harry Andrews, Anthony Quayle | Written by Christopher Landon
UK certification PG | UK RRP £19.99 | BD Region B | Runtime 129 minutes | Directed by J Lee Thompson
What is there to say about a 1958 classic starring John Mills and Sylvia Syms? The opening credits reveal a very different time in international relations. The United Kingdom of Libya is acknowledged for providing a location to film, how times have changed.
For those who haven't seen or read Ice Cold, it is basically the original road trip movie. Three lads and two girls go on a long drive through the desert while drinking gin and taking turns to be sedated.
For the pedants among you, Ice Cold in Alex follows four army officers travelling through Libya to the safety of British lines in Alex(andria) in Egypt. Captain Anson (Mills) leads the troupe while trying to postpone a personal breakdown. Syms appears as the nurse, a character that she plays with strength and empowerment; traits that weren't particularly common in female roles at the time. Pacing is quite slow by today's standards, and relationships between the characters are stilted and reserved. Affection between them (when it occurs) comes as a surprise, perhaps that can be put down to good old British stiff upper lipped-ness. Picture and sound quality on this restored Blu-ray is surprisingly good, given the age of the source material. When all is said and done, this is a well-loved tale of valour and chivalry. While it shows its age in certain respects, a story about heroes is timeless.
EXTRAS ★★★ Alongside the de rigueur photo gallery and trailer, the Blu-ray features an interview with Sylvia Syms and a colour 16mm video from John Mills' 'home movies'. While the latter is quite interesting documentary footage, the interview with Sylvia is simply bizarre at times. It's well worth watching for her off-beat answers and the odd pauses between sentences.