The novel by Montsarrat is one of my all time favourites, read it as a teenager, but not since. I found the film not on par with the book and somewhat disappointing. I seem to remember that Lockhart's love interest died in the novel. Is my memory betraying me?
shareI first read this book as a required book for high school English back in the early sixties. I didn't realize at the time that we had the abridged edition which deleted profanity and mention of prostitutes, etc. A few years later I found the real unabridged book. I still read it every so often and I own the movie which is also watched quite a bit. I don't have the book in front of me but if memory serves you are quite right about Lockhart's love interest. I believe he broke off their relationship because he felt that one should not have "ties with the shore" because of the high mortality rate of the war, etc., etc. Anyway, at sea, he thinks things over and decides he does want her but when he finally returns ashore he discovers that she was killed in a bombing raid and it really screws him up for some time. Great story.
shareI have the book, one of my favourites and getting a bit dog-eared now, in front of me. Julie Hallam was drowned when she took the place of another WREN who was sick and the picket boat they were in was sunk in a storm. Chapter 8 page 419. I wouldn't actually say it "screws him up" as such but Lockhart is definately affected by it in ways he couldn't have imagined before he met her. This whole episode was missed from the film completely.
shareI have the book, one of my favourites and getting a bit dog-eared now, in front of me. Julie Hallam was drowned when she took the place of another WREN who was sick and the picket boat they were in was sunk in a storm. Chapter 8 page 419. I wouldn't actually say it "screws him up" as such but Lockhart is definately affected by it in ways he couldn't have imagined before he met her. This whole episode was missed from the film completely.
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He hadn't split up with her when she died.
The ship that, along with Ericson, he joins after the loss of 'Compass Rose', the HMS Saltash, is in New York undergoing a refit when he receives a letter from her that she is pregnant, daring for the times, but not to worry, she will take care of it, probably through an illegal abortion. He telegran stating "keep it'.
However he hears in a offhand way from an officer on a fellow escort, that she died not long after sending the letter, and before Lockhart received it. He is told offhand, because the officer in question didn't know that they were together.
Regards Phil.
I'm reading the book at the moment - hardback - for research purposes; my father worked on the film (a lighting gaffer) and I'm prepping a documentary about that Ealing era. I think it's one of the most accurate movies of warts and all wartime conditions; except I was born in '51 so I'm guessing really.
The only other film which comes anywhere near it in style & content is "Enemy Below", for me.
don't just stand there, get one up!
It has been awhile, and I had nearly forgotten until reminded by your post. While reading the part about Ms. Hallum's demise, my blood ran ice cold (I am not exaggerating). I did not realize how closely I was relating to Lockhart's character until I reached the aforementioned passage. As a matter of fact, it bothered me for the remainder of the day. Then again, I did the same (relating to the character) with the main character in THE SAND PEBBLES.
shareI thought the book was fantastic and the movie was really pretty good considering that movies rarely surpass the original books they were based on.
shareA 450 page book can't really be worked into a 90 minute film without fairly significant cuts; all the filmmakers could do was keep faithful to the spirit of the book, which I'd say they did.
One part that went out was about the people who carried on as criminals, who tried to get out of jobs that needed to be done, who went on strike - all the while fellow countrymen were risking their lives in hideous circumstances. People my age, children of the war generation, tend to have a rather rosy view of a united nation, everyone doing his bit, and I found that deeply shocking.
Monsarrat wrote 3 books during the war dealing with corvettes which are available today under the title "Three Corvettes".
Many of the incidents in these books were from personal experience, and found their way into "The Cruel Sea", which was written after the war. You can see that in the years since writing them, his writing was much more polished in "The Cruel Sea"
I've found the film to be an excellent adaptation, there were concessions made to length, so many things in the book did not make it into the film.
When the film was made, the only seaworthy Flower was the ex- HMS Coroepsis which had been returned by Greece for scrapping, she became HMS Compass Rose.
In the book, Compass Rose started out as a short forecastle corvette, with the mast before the bridge, like many early Flowers, and throughout the book, she was modified and updated just as the real corvettes were.
The career of Compass Rose in the book and film would have been pretty typical for a Western Approaches escort.
Also in the book, HMS Saltash was a River Class Frigate, but for filming, none were available, but there was a Castle Class corvette, so HMS Saltash became HMS Saltash Castle for the film.
Plus one dealing with frigates, after the war: H.M. Frigate, which I haven't been able to read yet.
Thank you for all that info.
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A 450 page book can't really be worked into a 90 minute film without fairly significant cuts
Very good movie, really fantastic book. I think I would opt for a longer movie if it could get across some more of the detail in the book.
shareThe movie just can't describe the thoughts and feelings of people as well as a book. One part that wasn't as effective in the movie was the events leading up to the 'bun in oven' remark and how he had mentally tortured that poor Jr. officer.
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