Jack Hawkins was superb in everything he appeared in. The scene after he is forced to drop depth charges on the British sailors in the water is so powerful. The first mate comes up to him and says "Are you alright?" To which he answers "No, I'm not alright. I don't mind telling you."
I spent 30 years as a ships' officer in Merchant Marine and I consider "The Cruel Sea" one of the finest novels (yes, I have read it), as well as one of the best films, about seamen and the sea ever produced. Not only were the writing and acting superb, but the production values were top-notch. It should be noted that, although they did not have access to modern CGI special effects at Ealing Studios in 1953, they did have access to the last remaining Flower-class corvette, and the fact that she clearly was in pretty rough shape by that time only added to the sense of realism. That is the sort of effect that CGI or "blue screen" simply cannot duplicate. Incidentally, it might also be noted that Michael Balcon and Charles Frend, the producer and director who created "The Cruel Sea", also created another memorable nautical film, "San Demetrio, London" a decade earlier.
It was was written by Nicholas Monsarrat,who had himself served in Corvettes assigned to escort duties during The Battle of the Atlantic,and so was very much speaking from first-hand experience.
It's been a long time since I've seen this movie but what I remember is the moment toward the end when, after the war is over the point is made that over the whole course of the war, they'd sunk two subs -- which, from some perspective, doesn't seem like much - and the Captain says, "Well, it seemed like a lot at the time."
Just finished reading The Cruel Sea. Wow - truly magnificent. Incredibly powerful and moving. Not often I give a book five stars. I see the producer of the film is Leslie Norman who I believe was Barry Norman's father.
For me, the other scene which strikes me in my heart is when L/S Tonbridge goes out with four other men to find survivors from the other ship which had been attacked, the look on his face as he sees it disappear below is as if he was actually really watching shipmates go down for real. Well done Alec McCowen.
Saw this movie, one time nearly 40 years ago when I was in college in Greece; A VERY jarring moment came after Compass Rose was torpedoed and quickly sinks; the survivor get a new ship, but when the captain comes on board he imagines he can hear the screams of the engine room crew coming out of those 'talk tubes', and he has to cover them with his hands to 'shut them out'.
@@nickmitsialis Yes, that scene gets me too, another is the scene where there are men in the water and The Captain has to make the agonising decision to attack with depth charges, the supposed U-Boat directly below them.
THE GREATEST BRITISH NAVAL WAR FILM ever made, on par with Das Boot Good evening, Captain. We came back to thank you for our lives. (Lockhart)Oh. I didn't recognise you. Ashore we bought clothes. Captain Richer. Captain Joslevsky. - I am Mathieson. Norwegian. (Lockhart) Oh...Well, come in and have a drink. - Thank you, no. - Thank you, YES! I wish to Drink with this Brave Man who Stopped his Ship and Gave me my Life. And me. Me, I have the same wish.-Much stronger.-And for my wife, too.-And my three children. (Lockhart) Oh. That's fine. We know that you have much, to think about. (Lockhart) Yes. I have been thinking. Are you sad? (Lockhart) Yes, I am pretty sad. The men in the water? (Lockhart)- Yes. - The men you had to kill? (Lockhart)The Men I had to KILL. It was necessary. Yes, it is war. There is no blame. But......There may be thoughts. Yes...There will be thoughts. And FOR THOUGHTS THERE IS GIN!. - Sk ol. (Lockhart)- Sk ol.
umm.... The Cruel Sea Ice Cold in Alex tora-tora-tora The longest day Cross of Iron Where eagles dare (bit of a cheat) In which we serve 633 Squadron sink the Bismarck Battle of the river Plate Saving Private Ryan (despite the total absence of any other allies) The Great Escape A Bridge too Far honourable mentions Away all boats (children help the mother) San Demetrio London Once were soldiers 9th company
Ericson had to make a decision that no one should have to make pick up the Sailors in the water or pursue the U boat but War is like that and sometimes terrible decisions have to be made for the good of all! If he picked up the Sailors the U Boat would have escaped to wreck havoc on other Ships And Sailors!🤔😒🚢⚓🇬🇧
He should have saved the sailors. It was certain that they would die if he released his depth charges but not certain that the U-Boat would either be sunk itself or go on to sink other ships. But even if sinking the U-Boat was a certainty, it wasn't his job to be killing people on his own side, a bit like "we had to destroy the village in order to save it".
@@maddyg3208 Oh it was almost a certainty that, if the escort is distracted, the UBoat would return to attack the convoy again....hence the really hard tough decision that needs to be often made in real life, in war time: kill 10 or 20 or leave them to die, to save hundreds or thousands more.
Jack Hawkins was superb in everything he appeared in. The scene after he is forced to drop depth charges on the British sailors in the water is so powerful. The first mate comes up to him and says "Are you alright?" To which he answers "No, I'm not alright. I don't mind telling you."
I spent 30 years as a ships' officer in Merchant Marine and I consider "The Cruel Sea" one of the finest novels (yes, I have read it), as well as one of the best films, about seamen and the sea ever produced. Not only were the writing and acting superb, but the production values were top-notch. It should be noted that, although they did not have access to modern CGI special effects at Ealing Studios in 1953, they did have access to the last remaining Flower-class corvette, and the fact that she clearly was in pretty rough shape by that time only added to the sense of realism. That is the sort of effect that CGI or "blue screen" simply cannot duplicate. Incidentally, it might also be noted that Michael Balcon and Charles Frend, the producer and director who created "The Cruel Sea", also created another memorable nautical film, "San Demetrio, London" a decade earlier.
I read the novel after watching the film several times and actually found it even more disturbing than the film.
You must have also read HMS Ulysses....and heard about PQ17?
It was was written by Nicholas Monsarrat,who had himself served in Corvettes assigned to escort duties during The Battle of the Atlantic,and so was very much speaking from first-hand experience.
Lol did anyone else watch Greyhound recently and all you could think is "it doesn't come close to The Cruel Sea"
It's been a long time since I've seen this movie but what I remember is the moment toward the end when, after the war is over the point is made that over the whole course of the war, they'd sunk two subs -- which, from some perspective, doesn't seem like much - and the Captain says, "Well, it seemed like a lot at the time."
That's the difference between a British film and an American film. Tom Hanks sank 4 U-boats on his first mission in the movie Greyhound. LOL.
I’ve just got in the RNR as a rating! Just been watching this film countless times over the last few days. Love it!
@@xlbubblehead2505 no no snorkers!! 🤣🤣
@@xlbubblehead2505 will do 👍.
Just finished reading The Cruel Sea. Wow - truly magnificent. Incredibly powerful and moving. Not often I give a book five stars. I see the producer of the film is Leslie Norman who I believe was Barry Norman's father.
My dad served in RCN corvettes. He gave it high marks for realism.
For me, the other scene which strikes me in my heart is when L/S Tonbridge goes out with four other men to find survivors from the other ship which had been attacked, the look on his face as he sees it disappear below is as if he was actually really watching shipmates go down for real. Well done Alec McCowen.
Saw this movie, one time nearly 40 years ago when I was in college in Greece; A VERY jarring moment came after Compass Rose was torpedoed and quickly sinks; the survivor get a new ship, but when the captain comes on board he imagines he can hear the screams of the engine room crew coming out of those 'talk tubes', and he has to cover them with his hands to 'shut them out'.
@@nickmitsialis Yes, that scene gets me too, another is the scene where there are men in the water and The Captain has to make the agonising decision to attack with depth charges, the supposed U-Boat directly below them.
@@sailorhms Yes; it's one of those moments where any decision you make has a bad outcome, but which one is the least, worst one?
I DID join the navy because of this film!
Simon Heffer suggests it was the first time "bloody" was said in a British film. Didn't Wendy Hiller say "Not bloody likely" in "Pygmalion" in 1938?
THE GREATEST BRITISH NAVAL WAR FILM ever made, on par with Das Boot
Good evening, Captain.
We came back
to thank you for our lives.
(Lockhart)Oh. I didn't recognise you.
Ashore we bought clothes.
Captain Richer. Captain Joslevsky.
- I am Mathieson. Norwegian.
(Lockhart) Oh...Well, come in and have a drink.
- Thank you, no.
- Thank you, YES!
I wish to Drink with this Brave Man
who Stopped his Ship
and Gave me my Life.
And me. Me, I have the same wish.-Much stronger.-And for my wife, too.-And my three children.
(Lockhart) Oh. That's fine.
We know that you have much, to think about.
(Lockhart) Yes. I have been thinking.
Are you sad?
(Lockhart) Yes, I am pretty sad.
The men in the water?
(Lockhart)- Yes.
- The men you had to kill?
(Lockhart)The Men I had to KILL.
It was necessary.
Yes, it is war.
There is no blame.
But......There may be thoughts.
Yes...There will be thoughts.
And FOR THOUGHTS THERE IS GIN!.
- Sk ol.
(Lockhart)- Sk ol.
YES! So many great scenes, for me it's hard to choose. One of my favorite Naval films of all time
I agree. A superb film. (By the way, the Captain, Hawkins' character, was Ericson. Lockhart was the Number One played by Sinden).
'And say our prayers at the end'
Is the full BBC list online? I would love to see the other films.
'Let's get away to the country
And forget about the War'...
My Fav British Belter..
Is..
Ice Cold in Alex...
Dunkirk (the b&w) one is excellent.
On par with Das Boot?
I don't know ten films ever made I'd have the balls to say that
It's definitely the perfect "companion" movie for Das Boot.
umm....
The Cruel Sea
Ice Cold in Alex
tora-tora-tora
The longest day
Cross of Iron
Where eagles dare (bit of a cheat)
In which we serve
633 Squadron
sink the Bismarck
Battle of the river Plate
Saving Private Ryan (despite the total absence of any other allies)
The Great Escape
A Bridge too Far
honourable mentions
Away all boats (children help the mother)
San Demetrio London
Once were soldiers
9th company
Only #24?????? You clearly do not understand war.....
2.11 mins, Inert depth charge not too dangerous to U boats.
Snorkers, good oh!
Ericson had to make a decision that no one should have to make pick up the Sailors in the water or pursue the U boat but War is like that and sometimes terrible decisions have to be made for the good of all! If he picked up the Sailors the U Boat would have escaped to wreck havoc on other Ships And Sailors!🤔😒🚢⚓🇬🇧
He should have saved the sailors. It was certain that they would die if he released his depth charges but not certain that the U-Boat would either be sunk itself or go on to sink other ships. But even if sinking the U-Boat was a certainty, it wasn't his job to be killing people on his own side, a bit like "we had to destroy the village in order to save it".
@@maddyg3208 Oh it was almost a certainty that, if the escort is distracted, the UBoat would return to attack the convoy again....hence the really hard tough decision that needs to be often made in real life, in war time: kill 10 or 20 or leave them to die, to save hundreds or thousands more.
the french must be gutted that their own WW2 conduct wasnt as glorious as britain's so they couldnt make films about it
The British must be awfully glad that the Channel stopped the German army...
@@keithmitchell6548
stopped the French one a few times too?
Heffer is a Tory
And?
So?