The Cruel Sea (1953)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Charles Frend

Writers:

Eric Ambler (screenplay)
Nicholas Monsarrat (novel)

Release Date:

19 August 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Monsarrat's brilliant best seller comes surging to life

Plot:

The World War II adventures of a British convoy escort ship and its officers.

Plot Keywords:

Sea | Convoy | U Boat | Ship | Survivor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Jack Hawkins	...	Ericson
Donald Sinden	...	Lockhart
John Stratton	...	Ferraby
Denholm Elliott	...	Morell
John Warner	...	Baker
Stanley Baker	...	Bennett
Bruce Seton	...	Tallow
Liam Redmond	...	Watts
Virginia McKenna	...	Julie Hallam
Moira Lister	...	Elaine Morell
June Thorburn	...	Doris Ferraby
Megs Jenkins	...	Tallow's sister
Meredith Edwards	...	Yeoman Wells
Glyn Houston	...	Phillips
Alec McCowen	...	Tonbridge

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #16500)

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Dirk Bogarde claimed to have been offered a bit part in this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: All depth charges are clearly labelled "INERT FILLED."

Quotes:

Lockhart: Sir, reports from HQ say that there are five U-boats in this area.
Capt. Ericson: Five? It was good of them to tell us!
Lockhart: [Later that evening] Now they say there are nine U-boats operating around this area.
Capt. Ericson: Nine? Good grief, we must be very popular this evening!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Superb for 1950's Brit movie

Post British World War II movies helped sustain the ailing British Film industry in the 1950's. There were some truly awful movies made - probably so those who were really there could turn to their girls and say - "you know it wasn't really like that".

The Cruel Sea is an exceptional exception. Firstly it is based on a superb book, secondly it is well cast with Jack Hawkins at the height of his powers playing Captain Ericsson and thirdly it is well abridged. Getting a 500 page novel into 121 mins means that there will be cuts - but they are well done and the narrative thread of the book is not lost. There is also very little "messing with the story" so prevalent in Hollywood.

The Royal Navy obviously thought the movie worth supporting and helped find a real Flower Class corvette. Of all 135 built - 22 had been sunk by the enemy, 13 lost in bad weather and the rest paid off after the war. "Compass Rose" sails across the screen - firing her weapons and throwing her depth charges (you want to see what REAL depth charges are like when they go off - watch this) in beautifully photographed black and white action sequences.

Suspend your historical accuracy regarding true ship detail however - throughout the movie the Flower is in her 1945 paid off configuration with a lantern style radar that wasn't introduced till half way through the war and the continuity switches from moderate weather to flat calm at the flick of a scene as needed when the ship is making turns. Still you want to see heavy weather - there is some real rough stuff with the corvette punching into it and some stock wartime footage very carefully grafted in to give the necessary verisimilitude.

But the real narrative is how the specks of humanity are treated by the war and the cruel sea and it is amply conveyed in the morning after a torpedo'ing. Count how many are INCREDIBLY lucky to be found alive in rafts and remember how many were on the ship that was sunk in the night. It's a grim ratio and a vivid portrayal of the real cost of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Young and upcoming Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliot and Virginia McKenna support this superb movie - it made Donald Sinden.

I hope there is a DVD coming because the photography is clearly good enough to be shown at a higher resolution but this should not stop you watching this now.