Very well executed

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

My grandfather served on corvettes (the type of ships portrayed in this film)and he always said that this movie was one of the few examples of what it was truly like to serve on these boats in the North Atlantic convoys of WWII. I have watched this film many times and it is a great film and a true classic. I highly encourage anyone wanting a taste of what life was like for those brave sailors to watch this movie. It will not disappoint. The acting is excellent and the plot generally follows that of the novel of the same name, by Nicholas Monsarrat. It shows the tedious boredom of life afloat, the nerve-wracking suspense of the hunter and the hunted, and the intense action of combat. One of the finest war movies ever produced.

The Cruel Sea is undoubtedly a truly English film. There are no almighty heroes giving spirited speeches to stir their men. This is where The Cruel Sea's strength lies - as a wholly convincing vignette of naval warfare. The film spends much of its time depicting the monotony of the ship's duties (as a convoy vessel) and on the relationships developed between the ship's staff. This is not to say that it doesn't deliver - in a stark, honest way - on the threat and heat of battle. The viewer senses the danger surrounding the ship - stormy weather can be just as threatening as U-Boats closing in. The audience is given great sympathy for the situation the sailors are put into. Little is shown of life onshore (and in most of the onshore scenes the ships company are present, such as when an officer returns home to visit his wife on leave). Because of this, once we return to the ship, the viewer is forced to feel the same helplessness as the sailors must have felt in war. Like the sailors, the viewer knows nothing of the lives of their families back home, nor of the commanding decisions being made which influence the ships duties.Jack Hawkins puts forward, as ever, a memorable and thoughtful performance as the capable and dutiful ship's Captain. We sense his character struggling to remain stoic as he is forced to make life and death decisions in grim circumstances. All the ships officers put in solid performances, particularly as their characters develop - starting out as inexperienced recruits and being trained up to responsible officers as they get used to the way of life in the Navy and of the attitude needed to cope through war.The film touches on other areas. Comedy is offered in amusing turns of dialogue which wouldn't seem out of place in films made today. Equally, some time is given to romance, between an onshore Officer (played by Virginia McKenna) and a seaman on board. And of course, being a war film, there are a fair few explosions and plenty of tense, thrilling moments.The Cruel Sea uses its 2-hour running length brilliantly, giving just the right time to cover each aspect of war. None of the scenes overstay their welcome. A memorable and important part for me is the opening, especially with the voice-over of Jack Hawkins. It sets the tone of the film perfectly.This is by far one of the better war films I have seen. It is entertaining as you watch and thought-provoking afterwards. A must-watch if you liked Das Boot.

I was forced to watch this movie for the first time over 20 years ago as part of a college class. It was a comparative literature course where we first read a war novel then followed it with the movie based on the novel we just read.To be fair, it only felt forced for the first few minutes. One really gets a warm feeling for the men serving in the Sisyphean role of protecting ship convoys during WWII. We see them at work, play and in battle. We meet the women who love them and we get a sense of how the British experienced the war; how much more desperate it was and how like a siege it was at home for our heroes on leave. Since that time, seemingly forever ago, I have sought out The Cruel Sea when and wherever it was showing.There are two reasons for this; first, the movie is quite faithful to the original text, Monserrat's wonderful novel. Secondly, because of this, you will find it easy to identify with and care about the men aboard HMS Compass Rose. Captain Ericson's tears are ours. I don't know if it was possible for Jack Hawkins to make a bad movie, but just look at what he did with truly great material! Stanley Baker was at his disagreeable best here, along with Donald Sinden and a terribly young Denholm Elliott.This movie makes an emphatic case for those who, like David O. Selznick, believe in being faithful to the original material when making movies. Films like this make it very hard for those on Hitchcock's side of the debate. There is real artistry here and I marvel at how not just the story, but Monserrat's plot devices are effectively portrayed on film. See if you don't agree when you view this, yourself. If you enjoy movies of this genre and haven't seen this one, take heed; strong message follows: Sit down to this one and be prepared for one of the finest of its kind, in any era.

I recall to have seen this movie when i was a maybe 15 years old and mainly recalled the grim and bitter search for the U-Boat in the Murmansk Convoy Section. Much time has passed and Amazon Germany does now feature this in the Forgotten War Movie Section !. Certainly a film that must not be forgotten ! At the same time German TV featured a 30 year anniversary of "The Boat U-96" with the key actors. The Cruel Sea now is moving towards 60 years coming since it was released and it did not lose much. It is grim, based on obvious real life experience and well cast. Even Stanley Baker impresses as the Snorker Bully with an ulcer. Get it when you can.