The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 27, 2025

Charles Frend's "The Cruel Sea" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Simon Abrams; archival program with actor Donald Sinden; vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Adapted from the famous novel by Nicholas Monsarrat, Charles Frend’s The Cruel Sea tells the story of Captain Ericson (Jack Hawkins, The Bridge on the River Kwai), who is put in charge with HMS Compass Rose, a fast corvette, and its inexperienced crew during WWII. Because of his substantial experience as a seaman, he is teamed up with two young officers, Lockhart (Donald Sinden, Mogambo) and Ferraby (John Stratton, The Third Key), who have never been in the open sea.

As the Compass Rose begins searching for German U-boats, Captain Ericson and Lockhart form a bond that proves crucial for the success of their mission. Soon after, they also start relying on each other’s instincts and trusting each other’s judgment.

However, in the ensuing cat-and-mouse game, the sea quickly proves far more dangerous than the German U-boats. For example, a few powerful storms force the Compass Rose into a treacherous territory, where it instantly becomes an even bigger target for the German U-boats, and destroy several corvettes patrolling nearby areas.

The Cruel Sea is a slow and methodical film, providing its audience with an authentic feel of the many risks seamen had to overcome during WWII. Its technical lingo and various tactical descriptions are so detailed, so accurate, that from time to time it becomes rather difficult to immediately grasp the nature of the threats and complex dilemmas the seamen face. A great deal of excellent documentary footage is used as well. However, this obvious and very well-managed pursuit of authenticity is not at odds with the conventional cinematic drama that flourishes after the Compass Rose is dispatched to begin neutralizing the German U-boats.

The characterizations are excellent. It is incredibly easy for the audience to relate to the seamen that the camera chooses to follow closely because they are all ordinary people, not heroes, who, despite their training and ranks, continuously reveal authentic emotions. For example, in one of the most memorable sequences, Captain Ericson ignores a group of survivors to sink a U-boat, and later, he is tormented by their desperate screams for help. Elsewhere, one of Captain Ericson’s officers, Morell (Denholm Elliott, Raiders of the Lost Ark), accidentally discovers that his wife has started seeing another man. He returns to the corvette and instantly resumes his duties, but for some time his thoughts remain with his wife and he struggles enormously.

The enemy is never seen, so the atmosphere during the cat-and-mouse game remains incredibly tense. There is a genuine sense of fear amongst the sailors because everyone realizes that the invisible enemy can fire a torpedo and sink the Compass Rose at any time.

Hawkins is outstanding as the strong and authoritative but never cocky captain who has seen it all. When he does not issue orders, he is a tough but fair man who is not afraid to show emotion, which is why everyone on board the Compass Rose respects him. Sinden is similarly brilliant as his right-hand man, understanding well that together they could accomplish a lot and save many lives. Stratton exudes confidence but never arrogance. Stanley Baker also has a strong cameo appearance as an insecure lieutenant who falls seriously sick.

In 1954, The Cruel Sea earned an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay (Eric Ambler). During the same year, the film was also nominated for three BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best British Actor (Hawkins).

The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.31:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Cruel Sea arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

This release is sourced from the same master that StudioCanal worked with to produce this Region-B release in 2011, which is the only other release of The Cruel Sea that I have in my library. While the master can now be described as old, it is very good, and it still produces quality visuals.

It is true that some of these visuals can be even more impressive. Delineation and depth can be a little better, plus some additional cosmetic work could be done to remove remaining tiny surface imperfections. However, this master is not plagued by problematic digital corrections, and its overall health is very good. Also, it has strong density levels, which means that even on a very large screen the visuals it produces still have a fine organic appearance. Obviously, the archival footage that is incorporated into the film is instantly recognizable because it looks quite rough. The grayscale is good, though some small rebalancing adjustments can be made to strengthen the blacks and grays. If sometime in the future the film is meticulously restored in 4K, I am convinced that this is an area that will be addressed, and after that the dynamic range of the visuals will be even more convincing. Image stability is very good. All in all, I think that The Cruel Sea still looks good on Blu-ray and is very much worth rediscovering by younger collectors. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Cruel Sea utilizes plenty of music to create an atmosphere that is right for the intense drama that flourishes in it. However, dynamic intensity throughout the film is limited, which of course is hardly surprising given that it comes from the early 1950s. The dialog is clear and sharp, easy to follow, too. Some unevenness can be spotted, but even if it is addressed in a future elaborate restoration, I do not think that the overall quality of the audio will change dramatically. Also, in areas where archival footage is used, there are other slightly bigger transitional fluctuations.

The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Donald Sinden - in this archival program, actor Donald Sinden recalls how he became involved with The Cruel Sea and some of the most memorable scenes in it were filmed, and discusses the novel that inspired it, its reception, etc. In English, not subtitled. (34 min).

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic Simon Abrams offers a wealth of information about the novel that inspired The Cruel Sea, the development of the screenplay that was used to shoot it at Ealing Studios, self-sacrifice as an essential quality for Englishmen during wartime and its depiction in the film, the quality of the characterizations, some key differences between the battle material in the novel and in the film, etc. I thought that the commentary was very good and wholeheartedly recommended it to fans of the film.

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for The Cruel Sea. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

The Cruel Sea Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is wonderful to see that The Cruel Sea, one of the greatest British war films, has finally reached American shores. While its blending of archival footage and original content is not quite as brilliant as that seen in Sands of Iwo Jima, its characters and drama are fantastic. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a master that StidioCanal prepared quite some time ago, but I think that The Cruel Sea still looks lovely in high-definition. If you are unfamiliar with it and do not have a copy of it in your library, consider a blind buy. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.