The Cruel Sea (1953)

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

A classic of British cinema, director Charles Frend's "The Cruel Sea" documents five years in the lives of a motley group of British sailors. They're tasked with escorting Allied convoys during World War 2, but it's a seemingly impossible task; Germany's U-boat fleets prowl the seas and feast incessantly on British ships.Unlike most naval films of the era, "The Cruel Sea" is grim, depressing, gritty, pessimistic, suffused with futility and captures well the nuts and bolts banality of wartime. Occasionally the film's ship-board action gives way to several land-based, melodramatic subplots, which borrow heavily from the then burgeoning "kitchen sink" movement. Ealing Studio legend Jack Hawkins stars as the world-weary captain of a torpedo corvette.8/10 – Frend directed a number of British war films, but "The Cruel Sea" was his best. See too "Das Boot", "The Sand Pebbles", "The Last Detail", "Damn the Defiant", "Run Silent Run Deep" and "Sink the Bismarck!".

The Cruel Sea, produced in the depth of rationing and cuts, was the first adult-themed film I saw, being taken to it by an aunt when I was around ten. It was a re-showing, rare in those days – 1956 or so, and the chap on the till tried to stop my aunt bringing me in as it was an A, so I needed to be 15 or so. She said that the film was about 'his five dead uncles.' We were allowed in.My father was one of eight brothers, just three of whom survived the war. Of the five, one was killed in the bombing of Portsmouth, the other four torpedoed, two on the same day in two different RN ships. The Cruel Sea has, therefore, a deep meaning for me. My aunt, then a widow, her husband being killed in the first two months of WWII, cried during the film, the only overt sign of emotion I ever saw in her.None of my family rejoiced in the war, or mentioned bravery or heroes. One uncle who survived, despite volunteering for fuel tankers to get extra money, was on the Atlantic convoys. He slept on deck regardless of weather, too terrified of being caught below and burnt to death.He saw a vessel hit by a torpedo. It caught fire, silhouetting his ship against the flames. He said he still, 15/20 years later, felt guilty that all he did was pray that they wouldn't stop for survivors.The film encapsulates the attitude of those I met post war. There was nothing gung-ho about what they did. They were frightened, put upon, and crippled. They saw their friends being killed, burned and drowned. This film shows some of that. No trumpets for the sailors. They just returned to bombed out homes and a struggle to find loved ones.The cast do their bit wonderfully. They are tired, bitchy, irritated and irritating. They are frightened. They are people like you and me in extraordinary circumstances. What is remarkable is that they were, in the most sensible meaning of the term, heroes.My family were violently anti-war. Every one of my father's sisters lost a husband or boyfriend during the two world wars. Most were in the navy. One, aunty Enid, married in 1940, was parted the next day and within the year she got was a visit from the navy. This film shows part of the agony that families and individuals went through. Watch it an wonder what you would do in similar circumstances. Would you be the one who opted out for the lecture circuit? Who could blame you.A chilling film, especially if you realise that we've learnt nothing from the horror. We still go to war, we still sing patriotic songs, we still call those who kill foreigners heroes.I've become my aunt. I cried at times during the film and so should we all.

The best thing about this WWII naval picture is that it is so ordinary. What I mean by this is that there is no bigger-than-life Hollywood style hero who is invincible, but a collection of normal men showing great heroism collectively--sort of a tribute to the unsung heroes of the war. It's set aboard a convoy escort ship's captain and crew--through their tense moments, trials, successes and failures. In other words, its a WHOLE portrait of the war as seen through these sailors' eyes--the good, the bad and the mundane.The second best thing is the lovely look and feel--with great acting and direction. Jack Hawkins was, as always, wonderful but all the actors playing the crew did so well--and it's a tribute to the production and direction--this didn't just happen by chance.In many ways, this film plays a lot like the great British film "In Which We Serve"--though unlike "In Which", "The Cruel Sea" was made after the war. Both films together would make a wonderful night of movie viewing. Solid and exceptional.

Ealing Studios which has come down to us in history as the home studio of British comedies, particularly those of Alec Guinness produced this fine, but unusual product for its reputation. The Cruel Sea is a no frills drama set in World War II about the men serving on board a corvette class cargo escort ship.It's not glamorous duty this ship is involved in. They are just escorting vitally needed supplies to the western and later Russian fronts not to mention the bare necessities for the civilian population of Great Britain. The run to Murmansk on the Arctic Ocean was the most dangerous with the long coastline of occupied Norway home to innumerable bases for the U Boats to operate.Jack Hawkins does a fine job as the stalwart captain and a good cast as the crew supports him. Standing out is Stanley Baker who in an unusual part for him plays an insecure lieutenant who masks his insecurities with petty shows of tyranny. The usual plot situations involving navy films are all here. The film is similar in many ways to the Trevor Howard film, the Gift Horse which came out around the same time.The Cruel Sea got an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay, but lost to From Here To Eternity which won many Oscars that year. Definitely worth a look when broadcast.