The Riddle of the Sands

"In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them."

1979 1h 43m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 23

ActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the early years of the 20th Century, two British yachtsmen (Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale) stumble upon a German plot to invade the east coast of England in a flotilla of specially designed barges. They set out to thwart this terrible scheme, but must outwit not only the cream of the German Navy, but the feared Kaiser Wilhelm himself.

“In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them.”

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Cast

Simon MacCorkindale
Arthur Davies
Michael York
Charles Carruthers
Jenny Agutter
Clara Dollmann
Alan Badel
Dollmann
Jürgen Andersen
Von Brüning
Michael Sheard
Boehme
Olga Lowe
Frau Dollmann
Hans Meyer
Grimm

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tony Maylam
Writers: Tony Maylam
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tony Maylam, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Howard Blake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Hollywood shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Simon MacCorkindale and Michael York and Jenny Agutter carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0079808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Maylam directs. Christopher Challis behind the camera. Howard Blake scores. Peter Hollywood cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

147 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Tony Maylam, shot by Christopher Challis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Howard Blake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Peter Hollywood shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Simon MacCorkindale and Michael York and Jenny Agutter carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them.".
8IMDB entry: tt0079808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 23 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.