The Cruel Sea

Review by James Anthony

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One of the harshest campaigns of World War II was the Battle for the Atlantic, where the sailors of merchant convoys braved foul weather and U-Boat wolf packs to keep supply lines open for a beleaguered Britain.

Without the arrival of convoys Britain could have been starved into submission by Hitler's Germany and the very bad guys would have had an excellent chance of winning the war.

Fortunately they didn't and in 1953 The Cruel Sea, based on the novel by Nicholas Montserrat, was made into a movie to publicise some of the dramas these sailors had.

A very fine cast was picked - headed by Jack Hawkins, and ably backed up by Stanley Baker, Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliott - and while not an all-action extravaganza, The Cruel Sea splashes the salt spray in your face and has you biting your nails in the expectation of a torpedo amidships.

Its power comes from the tension of fighting an unseen enemy and the psychological effects that had on officers and men.

The Cruel Sea also doesn't mind having blokes drowning with lungs full of oil, freezing to death in open rafts, being depth-charged while awaiting rescue.

The transfer is very good for a film of this age and the blemishes it carries - together with actual war footage - add a certain weight of authenticity. The sound, for mono, is good.

The Cruel Sea is a gritty tale and one all World War II film buffs should have in their collections.

It is one of four movies available in the British War DVD Collection - The Cruel Sea, The Colditz Story, The Dambusters and Ice Cold in Alex.

Conclusion: 80% Extras: 25%.

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