I was watching one of my favourite war movies the other day, The Cruel sea, made in the 1950's at a time when the horrors of war were rarely touched on, The Cruel Sea is different, it doesn'y hold it's punches when it sensitvely and accurately portrays what the men are experiencing. But it's not gratutiouse in it's desplay of action and violence either, The scene that always gets to me are when Captain Ericson hears the screams of the crewmen trapped in the Focs'le after the Corvette has been torpedoed and is quickly sinking, he hears the cries again later as he inspects the voicepope on the bridge of his new ship in harbour. The screams are cut of as he slams the voicepipe lid and the dramatic music is cut off with them. A stunning piece of movie making.

what war movie portrayal of PTSD has moved you?

Well Dave, there's the scene in Saving Private Ryan when Tom Hanks Character Captain Miller, is so cut up by the death of the section medic Wade after they have attacked an enemy MG42 position, he goes off alone and cries out of sight of his men, it's incredibly convincing portrayal of shock grief by Tom Hanks. There is a recurring theme of PTSD in the film signified by Millers hand tremor.