Dawn (1933): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1933, Dawn is a drama and war film directed by Vernon Sewell, running about 85 minutes.

What it’s about. Released three days after Adolf Hitler became Reichskanzler, it was the first film to have its screening in Nazi Germany. It became a symbol of the new times touted by the Nazi regime. The title (literally "morning-red") is the German term for the reddish coloring of the east sky about a half hour before the sunrise. On patrol Captain Liers and his submarine crew sink an important British ship, but while returning to harbour, they're lured into a trap by a British vessel disguised as a neutral Danish one. They sink it after it attacks them without warning, but while they prepare to rescue survivors, a British destroyer sinks the sub. On the sea bed 60 feet down, with all but the bridge flooded, the 10 surviving crew have only 8 rescue devices. Liers orders the crew to use them, but they disobey - either all escape or nobody does.

Who’s in it. Dawn stars Rudolf Forster as Kapitanleutnant Helmut Liers, Fritz Genschow as Oberleutnant 'Phipps' Fredericks, Paul Westermeier as Bordfunker Jaul and Camilla Spira as Grete Jaul, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.8/10, Dawn has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Dawn page.

If you liked it. Fans of Dawn tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.