The Lightship

Based on an allegorical novella by Siegfried Lenz, this moody, carefully crafted suspense by Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski (Moonlighting, The Shout) is set in 1955 aboard an isolated U.S. Coast Guard lightship anchored in dangerous waters off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. The pacifist captain (Klaus Maria Brandauer), is a German-American who is haunted by an event in his naval past when he was indirectly responsible for the deaths at sea of some sailors during WWII. When he rescues a drifting speedboat from an impending storm, he is confronted by a trio of modern day pirates led by the menacing, psychotic Caspary (played in a no-holds-barred performance by Robert Duvall), on their way to pick up illicit cargo. From the moment they board the lightship the thugs attempt to take control, resulting in a violent struggle between good and evil. With the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense and hostile, conflicts arise amongst the crew as their misguided attempts at heroism end tragically. Cast also includes Tom Bower, Robert Costanzo, and Michael Lyndon.