The Cruel Sea

1953 2h 6m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 85

DramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jack Hawkins
Ericson
Donald Sinden
Lockhart
Denholm Elliott
Morell
John Stratton
Ferraby
Stanley Baker
Bennett
Liam Redmond
Watts
Meredith Edwards
Yeoman Wells
Bruce Seton
Tallow

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Frend
Writers: Eric Ambler
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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Frend, shot by Gordon Dines. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045659 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 85 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Frend directs. Gordon Dines behind the camera. Peter Tanner cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

173 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Charles Frend, shot by Gordon Dines. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Peter Tanner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Jack Hawkins and Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliott carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0045659 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 85 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
7Classified under 12 themes, including "sea", "submarine", "atlantic ocean", "world war ii".

The technical file

Cinematography: Gordon Dines
Editing: Peter Tanner
Makeup / hair: Sidney Turner
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Cruel Sea (1953)

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Charles Frend

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-08-23
★ 7/10
This has to be one of my favourite wartime adventures that really quite powerfully illustrates not only the perils of those sailing the Atlantic during the Second World War but the courage of the ordinary folks drafted in to man these tiny ships at the mercy of the weather and the U-boats. "Ericson" (Jack Hawkins) has been put in command of an convoy escort that's staffed by a rather obnoxious former used-car salesman "Bennett" (Stanley Baker) and two green-around-the-gills sub-lieutenants "Ferraby" (John Stratton) and "Lockhart" (Donald Sinden). Initially, their task is mainly to keep afloat in the turbulent waters but as continental Europe falls to the Nazis, the threat from Grand Admiral Doenitz's wolf-pack system of submarine attacks makes their jobs even more deadly. With their enemy largely unseen and highly manoeuvrable, it's difficult enough to see one let alone attack it, but they've all got a job to do. There's a strong dynamic here between Sinden and Hawkins and the story is peppered with back references to the lives ashore of many of the crew who have families in a homeland that is constantly being bombed. It was made long after the war finished, but it still manages to convey an effective sense of the danger - physical and emotional - faced by these men who left home uncertain as to what might await them on their return. It grittily encapsulates so much of the human story of the war, but there's also a little time for some romance (cue Virginia McKenna) and a little light banter from Liam Redmond, Bruce Seton and the always reliable Megs Jenkins who can't be bothered to fix up the blackout curtains. Moira Lister adds a bit of shallow glamour to the proceedings and by the half way mark we have a pretty comprehensive appraisal of the people's Royal Navy that's well captured by some chilling photography and haunting audio.

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