This story of a ship, the British destroyer HMS Torrin, and memories of the folks back home, are told in flash backs by survivors as they cling to a life raft. The epitome of stiff upper lip, as Coward's captain graciously condescends to his forelock-touching crew like an indulgent auntie, serves chiefly as a reminder of the structures of snobbery and privilege in the services which were partially responsible for Labour's postwar election victory. find out more...

Jack Hawkins gives perhaps his best performance as captain of a British corvette during the Second World War. Inexperienced young men face two enemies, the Atlantic and the U-boats, but the more deadly one is "The Cruel Sea". Adapted from Nicholas Montsarrat's novel and shot in a semi-documentary style. find out more...