Stars: Jack Hawkins, Stanley Baker, Denholm Elliott, Moira Lister, Virginia McKenna, Donald Sinden, John Stratton, Meredith Edwards

Director: Charles Frend

Summary: Based on the novel by Nicholas Monserrat - the story of a tough, professional sailor and a mainly amateur crew, learning how to fight against Nazi subs and the Atlantic.

An excellent documentary style film about a British ship in the North Atlantic during World War II. The hardships, loneliness and dangers of the sea are faithfully recreated. Academy Award Nominations: Best Screenplay.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on April 26, 2006 4:03 PM

This classic British film made by Ealing Studios and directed by Charles Frend is based on the novel by Nicholas Monsarrat . A fine British cast is headed by Jack Hawkins and also stars Donald Sinden , Denholm Elliot , Stanley Baker and Virginia McKenna . At the start of World War 2 , Commander Ericson ( Jack Hawkins ) is assigned to captain the brand new ship HMS Compass Rose with
inexperienced officers and men just out of training . Harassed by U -
boats and appalling weather , the men fight with true British spirit and heroism . This is an authentic evocation of the desperate Battle
of Atlantic .

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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 Seasuch 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

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Original Theatrical Trailer
Year:	1953
Release Date:	April 18, 2005
Runtime:	121 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 038085
Label:	Essential War Collection
Keywords:	Sea, War, Cruel
Genre:	War