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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
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
this film is a ruthless look at the Battle in the North atlantic.
The Cruel Sea is about the newly commissioned Compass Rose and Captain Erikson(Jack Hawkins),ex Merchant Seaman, who has to get his mainly civilian crew into shape for the battle... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ultrarunner
...women, marriage and emotion should not play a part in war...
This superb book tells the story of how Britain fared in the battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Eileen Shaw
Blu-ray excellence
The Cruel Sea [Blu-ray] [1953] I have owned this masterpiece in all its formats, from Monsarrats book to VHS to DVD and have just taken delivery of, and test-run, the Blu-Ray... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Bruce Kerslake
Brilliant book about men at war
This is an amazing book, as good at depicting small, ordinary lives as it is at portraying the 'big' heroic moments. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Roman Clodia
A Great Movie
I had a children's edition of this book over 50 years ago and as a boy it was of my favourites. I have seen the movie on TV a few times since and loved it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Cisco Kid
The Good CRUEL SEA
I enjoyed an old favorite in high definition the Disc is a good example of Blue Ray at its best.
Published 10 months ago by ronlivesey
All Time Great
This film is one of the all time greats. The acting and screenplay are first rate. The filming of the sea brings home its cruelness to the viewer. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mike Pinchen
A clasic film
I had not seen this film for many years and I was not disappointed by this blue-ray version. It brought back memories of my father taking me to see the original film at the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Richard A. Ellis
Cruel Sea on BluRay
I first read the book more than fifty years ago and saw the movie in the cinema also many years ago. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Soren Hemingway
the best of the genre
I watched this movie again yesterday evening. I must have watched it at least 4 times over a period of 20 years (on tv mostly). Read more
Published 11 months ago by Neil Carmichael
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