Review of The Cruel Sea (1953) by Simon D — 20 Mar 2012
The best war movies tend to be those with an anti-war message but The Cruel Sea just falls short. I read the book at least 20 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie though good in parts does lack any real character depth however.
Battle scenes are surprisingly good considering it was made nearly 60 years ago, with all of the action taking place above the waterline. The relentless ping of the sonar makes up a vast majority of the soundtrack and really adds to the futility of finding those elusive U-boats.
I didn't warm to the characters which may have something to do with the stiff direction of the time. It's all a bit too British in parts. Keep an eye out for Raiders of the Lost Ark's Denholm Elliott in what must have been one of his early roles.
The pace is very slow but does pick up about half way through when we witness the sea at its cruelest.
A little dated but still an enjoyable watch.
This review of The Cruel Sea (1953) was written by Simon D on 20 Mar 2012.
The Cruel Sea has generally received very positive reviews.
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