The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

"He gave his soul to the sea and his heart to a woman. Their love will arouse you. The story will disturb you. The ending will startle you."

1976 1h 45m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 38

DramaMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a widowed mother falls in love with an American sailor, her troubled young son is pressured by the bullying leader of his clique to seek revenge.

“He gave his soul to the sea and his heart to a woman. Their love will arouse you. The story will disturb you. The ending will startle you.”

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Cast

Sarah Miles
Anne Osborne
Kris Kristofferson
Jim Cameron
Jonathan Kahn
Jonathan Osborne
Margo Cunningham
Elizabeth Palmer
Earl Rhodes
Chief
Paul Tropea
Number Two
Gary Lock
Number Four
Stephen Black
Number Five

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lewis John Carlino
Writers: Lewis John Carlino
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

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lewis John Carlino, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sarah Miles and Kris Kristofferson and Jonathan Kahn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He gave his soul to the sea and his heart to a woman. Their love will arouse you. The story will disturb you. The ending will startle you.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075161 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 38 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lewis John Carlino directs. Douglas Slocombe behind the camera. Johnny Mandel scores. Antony Gibbs cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Lewis John Carlino, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Johnny Mandel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Antony Gibbs shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Sarah Miles and Kris Kristofferson and Jonathan Kahn carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He gave his soul to the sea and his heart to a woman. Their love will arouse you. The story will disturb you. The ending will startle you.".
7IMDB entry: tt0075161 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 38 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Original score: Johnny Mandel
Editing: Antony Gibbs
Production design: Ted Haworth
Costume design: Lee Poll
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bond
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976)

Also by

Lewis John Carlino

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2020-06-25
★ 8/10
Disturbing, potent, beautiful and undeservedly obscure RELEASED IN 1976 and based on the 1963 novel by Yukio Mishima, “The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea” chronicles events on coastal England where a small group of boys around 12-14 years-old are led by an angry psychopath named “the Chief” (Earl Rhodes). Jonathan (Jonathan Kahn) experiences Oedipus complex living with his well-to-do widowed mother (Sarah Miles), who starts dating a handsome American sailor (Kris Kristofferson), the second officer of a ship that anchors in the harbor. But what does Jonathan & “the Chief” have to say about this? This mixes unsettling themes and scenic beauty of “Last Summer” (1969) with the eroticism of movies like “Last Tango in Paris” (1972) along with a bit o’ “Summer of ’42.” “Last Summer” was based on the 1968 book by Evan Hunter and I can’t help but wonder if Hunter ripped-off Mishima’s novel. In any case, this is a powerful tale about the dark side of coming-of-age, fatherlessness, peer pressure and the misleading of a sociopath. Naturally, to be respected in the Chief’s gang is willingness to engage in an act of great cruelty. Why? Because psychopaths revel in cruelty and despise compassion. It’s a fascinating study of disturbing deviance and the herd mentality. The fact that the seaside locations are breathtaking is a plus. Another reviewer complained that switching the events from Japan to coastal England misses the point of the book, nonsense. The social influence of rigid cliques is universal and, generally speaking, neglected boys like this don’t take into consideration serious consequences due to youthful ignorance and arrogance. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 45 minutes, and was shot in-and-around Dartmouth, Devon, England. GRADE: A-

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