- Actors: Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, John Stratton, Denholm Elliott, John Warner
- Directors: Charles Frend
- Writers: Eric Ambler, Nicholas Monsarrat
- Producers: Leslie Norman, Michael Balcon
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Warner
- DVD Release Date: 18 April 2005
- Run Time: 126 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00008V6YR
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 68,807 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Nicholas Monsarrat's novel is an unflinching, realistic and emotionally involving account of naval life during the Second World War in which the "heroes" are the men, the "heroines" the ships and the "villain" is not so much the German U-Boats lurking below as "the cruel sea" itself. This 1953 film has become a classic of British cinema largely because it is a straightforward, no-frills adaptation of the book and retain's much of the original's compelling yet almost understated dramatic focus. On convoy duty in the North Atlantic, the crew of HMS Compass Rose face as a matter of routine the threat of destruction from U-Boats as well as a constant struggle against the elements. The convoys themselves are Britain's only lifeline and their loss would lead to certain defeat, but in the early years of the war the ships sent to protect them can do almost nothing to prevent the U-Boat attacks. Jack Hawkins gives one of his finest performances as Captain Ericson, the commander who has to balance destroying the enemy against saving the lives of the men under his care. In one unforgettable scene--a crucial turning point for all the characters--he must decide whether to depth charge a suspected submarine despite the presence of British sailors in the water. As with the book, the individual officers and their lives are carefully delineated, helped by the strength of a cast of (then) young actors (notably Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliot). Ultimately what makes The Cruel Sea such an undeniable classic is that it has neither the flag-waving jingoism nor the war-is-hell melodrama so common to most war movies: instead it relates in an almost matter-of-fact way the bitterness of the conflict at sea fought by ordinary men placed in the most extraordinary of circumstances. --Mark Walker
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Interactive Menu, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: In this seagoing military drama set in World War II, Lt. Comdr. Ericson (Jack Hawkins) is made captain of a British corvette, a small escort vessel used to guide and protect convoys traveling through the Atlantic. Ericson had his confidence severely shaken during his last command, in which he lost his ship and most of its men following an attack by a German U-boat. As he leads a new and largely inexperienced crew aboard the H.M.S. Compass Rose, Ericson is once again thrown into a life-and-death dilemma that forces him to choose between destroying an enemy ship and sparing the lives of his own men. The Cruel Sea featured breakthrough early performances from Denholm Elliott and Virginia McKenna, and it was based on a best-selling novel by Nicholas Monsarrat, who stipulated that the film rights could be sold only to a British company. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Oscar Academy Awards, ...The Cruel Sea
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A realistic and thoughtful look at men at war, with a fine performance by Jack Hawkins,
By C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Cruel Sea [DVD] (DVD)
The Cruel Sea is, in my view, one of the best movies yet made dealing with naval men at war in WWII. It's the story of the Compass Rose, newly commissioned in 1940 as a convoy escort, and the officers and men who served on her. Her captain (Jack Hawkins) was fresh from the merchant marine; her new officers had seen almost no sea duty. They learned on the job as they protected convoys in the North Atlantic and then in the run to the Mediterranean.
What makes this movie so good is its matter-of-factness. There are no heroics, just men learning their jobs and doing their duty, with some who die and some who survive. The scene where Captain Ericson decides to use depth charges to destroy a suspected submarine hiding below a group of struggling survivors from a torpedoed freighter is harrowing. The DVD I saw has a good but by no means first-class image transfer. The novel, The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat, is largely forgotten now. It remains one of the most evocative books to come out of WWII. The movie is well worth seeing. The book is certainly well worth reading.
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling,
By
This review is from: The Cruel Sea (Paperback)
The Cruel Sea had been in my book shelf for years, as part of some book sale deal when I first opened it. Not knowing what to expect, I started reading with an open mind and found myself completely enclosed by the atmosphere of WW2.
The book, a literary masterpiece, slowly and humbly tells us stories of war, fighting and death as well as love, longing and comradeship. The characters so real and true, it is hard to believe this is not based on real events. Or should I say, of course it is! Montsarrat is well acquainted with naval affairs, having worked as an officer himself and having lived through the war. Of course characters resemble persons he has met and actions are of course depicted in the most realistic ways, I wouldn't know, being totally ignorant to naval ways. What i do know, however, is that I still think this may be the best book I have ever read! Montsarrat was indeed a compelling author and i have tried to find more novels by him. I recommend you to read this book, for no other reason than that it is wonderful literature.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A realistic tale of the Second World War at sea,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cruel Sea [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This war time drama is played out through the desperate struggle of one man, his crew and their ship. HMS Compass Rose, a corvette carries out her duty in protecting the vulnerable convoys from the hunting packs of U-boats in the North Atlantic. All the experiences of the war at sea are there, in the faces of the men, the arduous conditions of the rough seas and in the horrors of war like the poor wretched survivors they pluck from the sea, choking and covered in oil. However, the most memorable scene, and one of which is surely equal to any other in cinematic history, has to be when Captain Ericson (Jack Hawkins) is forced to decide whether or not to attack a U-boat or save a group of British survivors that struggle in the water directly above his intended target.After 1942 this dilemma was turned into a blunt order when the Admiralty instructed anti-submarine vessels to make every attempt to destroy a U-boat and carrying out its priority to protect the convoy. The reason was that U-boats were believed to be diving close to the sinking ship so that their presence in the area would be harder to detect. This often resulted in survivors being in danger of losing their lives or being seriously injured from an indiscriminate depth charge attack. In the book by Herbert Gordon Male 'In All Respects Ready For Sea,' there is a true story of such an attack and the author gives an account father served on a anti-submarrine armed trawler during the war and his experiences were of special interest to Jack Hawkins whom he met and became friends with during the completion of the film. My father felt that this film was an important one as it told a real story of the men and their sacrifice often missed out by the larger picture of the history of the Battle of the Atlantic. Today it is as honest a film as it was then and shows the effects of war on the ordinary men who fought it. Only a few films have since dared to portray the personal and true realities of war that would result in sacrificing some of the expected pyrotechnics and thrilling action of the big screen.
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