7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
The adventures of British sailors during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
Starring: Jack Hawkins (I), Donald Sinden, John Stratton, Denholm Elliott, John Warner (I)War | 100% |
Drama | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.31:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Nominated for three BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best British Actor, Charles Frend's "The Cruel Sea" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the original theatrical trailer for the film; video interview with Donald Sinden; and collection of stills from the shooting of the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked"
A Royal Navy corvette
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charles Frend's The Cruel Sea arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
Similar to Cross of Iron and Ice Cold in Alex, The Cruel Sea has been digitally restored. Naturally, there are massive improvements in terms of detail, clarity, contrast, and color reproduction. The best news, however, is that there have been no attempts to filter the film's raw sequences. Naturally, because heavy DNR corrections have not been performed healthy light grain is present at all times. Furthermore, many of the close-ups convey outstanding depth and fluidity, and many rival those seen in the upcoming Blu-ray release of Ice Cold in Alex (see screencapture #11). Clarity is also impressive, particularly during the nighttime footage, where these types of films are typically suffer the most. This being said, there are portions of the film where mild edge-enhancement occasionally creeps in (some could be seen in screencapture #19), at least some of which appears to be related to various color enhancements, mostly slightly boosted blacks, which I noticed. Still, this is a very strong release that will undoubtedly impress fans of The Cruel Sea. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
Clearly there are limitations but all of them are source related. In other words, there are no serious technical anomalies that are likely to affect your viewing experience -- the English LPCM 2.0 track has a rather limited dynamic amplitude, but the dialog is crisp, clean, and easy to follow. Various stabilizations have been performed as well; there are no sound overlappings or massive audio dropouts. Background hiss is also not an issue of concern.
Charles Frend's The Cruel Sea is undoubtedly one of the very best British war films ever made. Shot on board of an actual Royal Navy corvette, the film is incredibly realistic, occasionally looking like a big documentary feature. Simply terrific. Like Cross of Iron and Ice Cold in Alex, The Cruel Sea has been recently restored. Needless to say, it looks fantastic on Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Indicator Series
1976
Special Edition | Sony Collector's Edition #13
1954
1945
20th Anniversary Edition
1993
1949
Premium Collection
1967
1968
20th Anniversary Edition
1992
4K Restoration | Vintage Classics
1977
1979
2000
Vintage Classics
1976
La Battaglia d'Inghilterra
1969
2008
1987
1976
1964
1942
Premium Collection
1945
1998