The Cruel Sea

The Cruel Sea

NR 1953 · 126 min · ★ 6.9 · Drama, History, War

At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer.

Directed by Charles Frend · Written by Eric Ambler

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

BFI Player Amazon Channel

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 40m together

The Cruel Sea

Lease of Life

Both from Charles Frend.

More from Charles FrendSee all →

The Loves of Joanna GoddenThe Loves of Joanna Godden · 1947
The Loves of Joanna Godden
★ 7.81947
MovieDramaRomance
Joanna Godden falls heir to a farm when her father dies.
Goodbye, Mr. ChipsGoodbye, Mr. Chips · 1939
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
★ 7.41939
MovieDramaRomance
Throughout the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Mr Arthur Chipping rises from a shy, nervous teacher to the beloved, revered headmaster of Brookfield School, with his life and career shaped by his love for his wife and his unwavering dedication to his students.
Lease of LifeLease of Life · 1954
Lease of Life
★ 7.41954
MovieDrama
William Thorne, vicar of a small village, leads a modest life as a clergyman. Supporting his wife Vera and musically talented daughter Susan with his work, Thorne is also thoroughly devoted to his community. When he finds out that he doesn't have long to live, however, Thorne rethinks his staid existence and develops a more vibrant way of being, affecting all of those around him.
Danger ManDanger Man · 1960
Danger Man
★ 7.31960
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Danger Man is a British television series which was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the programme and wrote many of the scripts. Danger Man was financed by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.
Scott of the AntarcticScott of the Antarctic · 1948
Scott of the Antarctic
★ 7.21948
MovieAdventureDrama
The true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole - only to find that the murderously cold weather and a rival team of Norwegian explorers conspire against him
Interpol CallingInterpol Calling · 1959
Interpol Calling
★ 7.21959
SeriesCrimeDrama
The adventures of Interpol policemen Duval and Mornay as they fought against international drug-running, homicide, robbery and forgery.
Man in a SuitcaseMan in a Suitcase · 1967
Man in a Suitcase
★ 7.21967
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name, taking on freelance jobs around Europe as he searches for answers.
Man of the WorldMan of the World · 1962
Man of the World
★ 7.21962
SeriesCrimeDrama
Michael Strait is a world-renowned photographer whose assignments lead him into investigating mysterious goings-on amongst the rich and glamorous and intrigue from far-flung places as Iraq, French Indochina, and Algiers.
Ryan's DaughterRyan's Daughter · 1970
Ryan's Daughter
★ 7.11970
MovieRomanceHistory
In the wake of the 1916 Easter Rising, a married schoolteacher in a small Irish village has an affair with a troubled British officer.
East Meets WestEast Meets West · 1936
East Meets West
★ 7.01936
MovieRomanceDrama
The story of an Eastern sultan who is inordinately proud of his son. The young man bids fair to break his father's heart by conducting an affair with the wife of a notorious criminal.
Torpedo BayTorpedo Bay · 1963
Torpedo Bay
★ 7.01963
MovieWar
An Italian submarine captain tries to navigate his sub through enemy waters while being stalked by a British warship. They both make it to the neutral port of Tangiers where they agree a truce.
The Long ArmThe Long Arm · 1956
The Long Arm
★ 6.91956
MovieMysteryCrime
Scotland Yard detectives attempt to solve a spate of safe robberies across England beginning with clues found at the latest burglary in London. The film is notable for using a police procedural style made popular by Ealing in their 1950 film The Blue Lamp. It is known in the US as The Third Key.
A Yank at OxfordA Yank at Oxford · 1938
A Yank at Oxford
★ 6.81938
MovieDramaRomance
A brash young American aristocrat attending Oxford University gets a chance to prove himself and win the heart of his antagonist's sister.
Johnny FrenchmanJohnny Frenchman · 1945
Johnny Frenchman
★ 6.81945
MovieComedyDrama
The fisherman from a Cornish village have a friendly rivalry with the fishermen (and one formidable woman) from a French port. Then war comes and they must all rethink their petty differences.
Major BarbaraMajor Barbara · 1941
Major Barbara
★ 6.81941
MovieComedy
Idealistic young Barbara is the daughter of rich weapons manufacturer Andrew Undershaft. She rebels against her estranged father by joining the Salvation Army. Wooed by professor-turned-preacher Adolphus Cusins, Barbara eventually grows disillusioned with her causes and begins to see things from her father's perspective.
Cone of SilenceCone of Silence · 1960
Cone of Silence
★ 6.81960
MovieDramaThriller
A seasoned pilot is condemned for an error which causes a crash. The pilot later dies in a crash with similar circumstances and an examiner looks for scientific reasons for the crashes.

More Like This

Mrs. Henderson PresentsMrs. Henderson Presents · 2005
Mrs. Henderson Presents
★ 6.72005
MovieComedyDrama
Recently widowed well-to-do Laura Henderson purchases the Windmill Theatre in London as a post-widowhood hobby. After starting an innovative continuous variety review, which is copied by other theaters, they begin to lose money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add risqué burlesque acts similar to the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
The Man Who Wasn't ThereThe Man Who Wasn't There · 2001
The Man Who Wasn't There
★ 7.52001
MovieCrimeDrama
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
The Thing from Another WorldThe Thing from Another World · 1951
The Thing from Another World
★ 6.71951
MovieDramaHorror
Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.
Cross of IronCross of Iron · 1977
Cross of Iron
★ 7.11977
MovieDramaAction
It is 1943, and the German army—ravaged and demoralised—is hastily retreating from the Russian front. In the midst of the madness, conflict brews between the aristocratic yet ultimately pusillanimous Captain Stransky and the courageous Corporal Steiner. Stransky is the only man who believes that the Third Reich is still vastly superior to the Russian army. However, within his pompous persona lies a quivering coward who longs for the Iron Cross so that he can return to Berlin a hero. Steiner, on the other hand is cynical, defiantly non-conformist and more concerned with the safety of his own men rather than the horde of military decorations offered to him by his superiors.
The HustlerThe Hustler · 1961
The Hustler
★ 7.71961
MovieDramaRomance
Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match.
Elevator to the GallowsElevator to the Gallows · 1958
Elevator to the Gallows
★ 7.61958
MovieCrimeDrama
A self-assured businessman murders his employer, husband of his mistress, which unintentionally provokes an ill-fated chain of events.
The Talented Mr. RipleyThe Talented Mr. Ripley · 1999
The Talented Mr. Ripley
★ 7.21999
MovieThrillerCrime
Tom Ripley is a calculating young man who believes it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Opportunity knocks in the form of a wealthy U.S. shipbuilder who hires Tom to travel to Italy to bring back his playboy son, Dickie. Ripley worms his way into the idyllic lives of Dickie and his girlfriend, plunging into a daring scheme of duplicity, lies and murder.
Letters from Iwo JimaLetters from Iwo Jima · 2006
Letters from Iwo Jima
★ 7.52006
MovieActionDrama
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
To End All WarsTo End All Wars · 2001
To End All Wars
★ 6.42001
MovieDramaWar
Based on a real-life story, this drama focuses on a small group of Allied soldiers in Burma who are held captive by the Japanese. Capt. Ernest Gordon, Lt. Jim Reardon and Maj. Ian Campbell are among the military officers kept imprisoned and routinely beaten and deprived of food. While Campbell wants to rebel and attempt an escape, Gordon tries to take a more stoic approach, an attitude that proves to be surprisingly resonant.
Au Revoir les EnfantsAu Revoir les Enfants · 1987
Au Revoir les Enfants
★ 7.51987
MovieDramaWar
Au revoir les enfants tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie—until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice, and tragic awakening.
Shoot the Piano PlayerShoot the Piano Player · 1960
Shoot the Piano Player
★ 7.21960
MovieDramaThriller
Charlie is a former classical pianist who has changed his name and now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar. When Charlie's brothers, Richard and Chico, surface and ask for Charlie's help while on the run from gangsters they have scammed, he aids their escape. Soon Charlie and Lena, a waitress at the same bar, face trouble when the gangsters arrive, looking for his brothers.
The Elephant ManThe Elephant Man · 1980
The Elephant Man
★ 8.01980
MovieDramaHistory
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity.
Swept from the SeaSwept from the Sea · 1998
Swept from the Sea
★ 6.41998
MovieDramaRomance
The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century. When Yanko enters a farm sick and hungry after the shipwreck, everyone is afraid of him, except for Amy, who is very kind and helps him. Soon he becomes like a son for Dr. James Kennedy and romance between Yanko and Amy follows.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter