the battle of the river plate be an almost documentary like account of the battle of the german pocket battleship graf spee with three allied cruiser and what happen to her subsequently . head the small mini fleet be captain anthony quayle and the german captain of the graf spee be play by peter finch . december of 1939 be the period know a the phony war . poland have be overrun by the nazi and the british and french force be on the continent safely behind the maginot line or so they think at the time . what action there be at this time be on the sea with various naval engagement here and there . the graf spee be do one number on british commerce in the south atlantic . it sink nine british merchant vessel and but her captain be no nazi . he observe the rule of war strictly and pick up sailor from the sunken vessel and all report good treatment at his hand . when he do reach montevideo he let all the british sailor go . sad to say this be not something repeat during world war ii . in any event two british and one new zealand cruiser and the ajax and the achilles and the exeter take on the graf spee and fight it to a bloody standstill . the british be lucky to have facility at the falkland islands for repair . but the graf spee head for montevideo which be neutral territory at the time . i be not quite sure why they do not make for the friendly shore of buenos aire on the river plate . even though juan peron have not take charge in argentina and it be still friendly to the german than uruguay be . possibly finch character lansdorff know the history of uruguay and a country found a a neutral buffer state between argentina and brazil . in any event the uruguayan operate correctly under the assumption that they would be at war sooner or later with the german a indeed be all the latin american country except argentina after pearl harbor . the graf spee would have make quite the prize indeed . a german and british and and uruguayan diplomat try to negotiate and finch take action and blow up the graf spee in the middle of the river plate . the nazi propaganda machine make him a martyr which in fact he be and the british public be give something to cheer about in those begin day of world war ii . finch and quayle give good performance a a pair of gallant adversary and the battle of the river plate be a fine war film from the united kingdom in which even the enemy behave gallantly .