Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This is a biopic about Admiral John Hoskins. The movie looks more like a war (or navy recruitment) propaganda than a drama. It's amazing Sterling Hayden can go through 1h 43 min with the same facial expression and wooden acting style. He portrayed the guy as a total jerk (maybe it was true...) I agreed more with his critics in the movie than himself. Especially his antics during the construction of new Princeton were terrible. If I were one of the engineers working on the dockyard I'd kill him. As for the directing, the narrative is pretty flat and devoid of tension. The war scenes are unimpressive and cursory. The only quasi-drama happens when he fights against those who want his retirement and is short-lived. The rest is a documentary style slow-paced storytelling. Perhaps, the only redeeming quality of the movie is its sporadic attempts for making a statement for the disabled.

This film could be called almost a purist biopic, but it is different from all other biopics in its carefully documentary character in a very restrained style of refinery making it rather classic in character and form. It simply tells the true story of the naval officer who by sheer stolid stubbornness rose to become one of the greatest and most important admirals of the US navy in the Korea war to finally step down voluntarily when he simply felt it the right thing to do as he saw other needs where he could make himself even more useful. The conclusion of the film is therefore the ultimate apotheos of a very constructive life.But the via crucis to that end is long and difficult, we see the casualties, the downing of carriers, the pioneer planes ending up in flames, the war is there in all its inhumanity and hell, but since it was there it had to be fought and won, and that's what keeps the admiral going even as he lies decrepit and hospitalized with threats of permanent retirement. This is an American parallel to Douglas Bader.It's a unique film in its singular discipline of sticking to the subject and aiming at the point throughout, and therefore it strikes home with a vengeance.

Toward the end of Republic Pictures existence with the demise of the B western and the departure of their number one asset John Wayne, the studio did produce some quality if low budget films. The Eternal Sea is one such film and the studio made good use of naval combat footage from World War II and Korea to integrate them into the story.Which is the true story of Admiral John Hoskins who lost a leg during the battle of Leyte Gulf, but fought to stay on in the Navy on active duty and doing more than desk duty. As the story unfolds Hoskins fought to have our aircraft carriers adapted to jet airplanes, a difficult task indeed because naval aviation itself was only slightly over 25 years old and just getting settled into propeller planes.Sterling Hayden plays the courageous and far seeing admiral Hawkins and Alexis Smith his supportive wife who would dearly like to see her man take an honorable retirement. Alexis Smith always had trouble getting cast because she was a tall girl, a first baseman as Bing Crosby said in Here Comes The Groom. No worries here because Sterling Hayden was 6'5" to Alexis's 5'9".Dean Jagger does a nice job in the role of Hayden's superior and mentor. The Eternal Sea is a real inspirational story and was worthy of a bigger studio and budget than Republic Pictures and the money allocated.

For John H. Auer, a triumph.A simple tale, yet profound.Of a real person, facing challenges.John Madison Hoskins, United States Navy, (1898-1964) For Sterling Hayden, as John Hoskins, a wonderful performance, as in all his films.Well supported by Alexis Smith as Mrs Hoskins.Dean Jagger adds another role to his illustrious career, as Thomas L. Semple.Ben Cooper as 'Zuggy' Zugbaum. Ben Cooper, never got the acclaim, for his various characterizations, I believe he deserved.Various costars, Virginia Grey, Hayden Rorke, Douglas Kennedy and Willis Bouchey give good support.Real naval personnel are portrayed.Such as Arthur Dewey Struble.And William F. 'Bull' Halsey.