Malta Story: Flying Through Smoke and Sentiment

So, last night around 21:00 I fired up this old classic, Malta Story. You know, that war film from ’53 set right in the chunk of WWII when Malta was getting hammered. Ever since my uncle from Göteborg gave me a VHS of British war films for my fifteenth birthday (he really thought he was cool), this one has been sitting at the back of my mind. Maybe it’s the roar of Spitfires that reminds me a little of “flygdagarna” out at Barkarby airfield, when my cousin made me hide in a porta-potty during the show (don’t ask).

Alec Guinness is the headline here, and what can I say? The guy just doesn’t know how to phone it in. Even when he’s playing this kind of stock British officer, he brings something quiet and awkwardly touching, like when you overcook fish at Midsommar but no one complains. Jack Hawkins, rock solid as ever, gnawing the scenery a bit but hey, someone has to. And Flora Robson, who has this way of looking like she’s just seen Sweden lose a hockey final, tragic but dignified.

Director Brian Desmond Hurst pulls off some epic moments, you feel the sand, wind, dust – there’s real heat in those black and white shots. You can almost smell the oil and suncream, if that’s a thing. They say Ealing Studios produced it – lots of their stuff has that stoic charm, you know?

But honestly, parts of Malta Story just crawl. There’s all this chit-chat about duty and sacrifice, and while there are enough explosions to wake your dog, it’s missing… something. Maybe the Finns would call it “sisu,” but here it’s just “jaha, ska det vara såhär då?”

Look, if you love war films, especially the stiff-upper-lip British kind, go for it. But pack some patience and maybe a korv med bröd. Otherwise… stick with Das Boot or grab Farsan’s old photo albums from the sixties instead.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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