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The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea
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The Cruel Sea

The Cruel Sea

1953
Drama, War
2h 6m
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. Atmospheric sea footage. (imdb)

Directed by:

Charles Frend

Screenwriter:

Eric Ambler, Nicholas Monsarrat

Starring:

Denholm Elliott, Jack Hawkins, Stanley Baker, Megs Jenkins, Liam Redmond, Virginia McKenna, Bruce Seton, Donald Sinden, Moira Lister, June Thorburn, John Stratton, John Warner

Genres:

Drama, War

Country:

UK

Language:

English
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The Cruel Sea

1953
Drama, War
2h 6m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 62.48% from 100 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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tonytheponyTonythePony
Rated 27 Feb 2009
80
75th
WWII naval film with an authentic feel, holding back on flashy battles and sentimentality, aided by some strong visuals. Captures the tension of escort duty amongst U-boats, including some great silent scenes while stationary. The characters kind of sneak up on you and by the end I was cheering for them, especially Hawkins who puts in a fine performance. And damn, depth charges rule!
Rated 27 Feb 2009
mspraguemsprague
Rated 19 Aug 2020
75
73rd
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Special guest appearance by the HMCS Drumheller (K167) at about 16 minutes into the film.
Rated 19 Aug 2020
mrarnmrarn
Rated 24 Jun 2024
82
98th
“The Cruel Sea” delivers an honest and powerful narrative, skillfully balancing intense action with profound character studies. Rather than focusing solely on wartime events, this film delves deeply into the experiences of the people who lived through them. It's a classic that’s worth watching.
Rated 24 Jun 2024
difontaineDifontaine
Rated 12 Jul 2023
79
74th
Staring everyone who is normally in British war films, with more depth than simple gung-ho war films. Rather good, with more complexity than you might expect.
Rated 12 Jul 2023
mike365365mike365365
Rated 07 Aug 2019
77
87th
I'm glad I found this very good film
Rated 07 Aug 2019
telemecusTelemecus
Rated 09 Nov 2013
56
66th
Master and Commander at sea and cuckold at home - classic sea farers tale.
Rated 09 Nov 2013
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 26 Jan 2012
74
47th
Well-crafted and performed British war film which suffers from a malady that plagues many in the genre, an almost inscrutably low-key, "stiff-upper lip" tone, which unfortunately lessens the impact of key scenes. Hawkins is excellent, and McKenna stands out in support, and many of the action scenes are exciting nonetheless.
Rated 26 Jan 2012
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 10 May 2008
75
89th
Excellent film.
Rated 10 May 2008
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 28 Jan 2008
81
69th
A very fine film. Covers pretty much what you would expect from a WWII naval movie, but does it all pretty well. Most impressive was the first-rate photography, much better than I expected from a cinematographer I'd never heard of, on a film I wasn't aware of until a few days ago. Most viewers under 40 will recognize Denholm Elliot as Dr. Marcus Brody from the Indiana Jones series.
Rated 28 Jan 2008

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