beautiful film, hard to watch

Rating: 8/10 (21 July 2002)

I am a Harrison Ford fan, and at first when he appeared with his fake Russian accent, I was wondering whether the whole film I would just be distracted by the wrong person in the main role. Instead, I was almost immediately sucked in by the action sequences. And, unlike "The Hunt for the Red October", there are actual characters in this movie, even though they are all men! In fact, they are not only characters, but plighted heros whose loyalty to their country and their people is shown more powerfully than in most U.S. war films. It quickly ceased to be a "Harrison Ford movie" and just became a great historical drama...from the perspective of the other side. Ford was perfect for the part.
There is also beautiful cinematography (some of the shots of the submarine are just breathtaking) and a plot that is easy to follow. I fell asleep during "The Hunt for the Red October" (twice), but this one kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen to these ill-fated men (I didn't read my history books, and even if I had, I wouldn't have known how accurate the portrayal was going to be). I'm assuming the denouement was chosen because that was what really happened, so I won't criticize it, although I will say that it was not what I expected, and I'm still not sure whether I liked it.
I would like to warn potential audiences that there are some realistic scenes in this movie which are very difficult to watch. They make you really feel for the characters but they are unquestionably gruesome. This is not a pleasant movie! But the story is worth telling, and this film tells it quite well. So, if you are willing to hide your eyes if you need to, and you want to feel for two hours like you are a Russian Communist and these people are your heros, go see this film. Otherwise, if you are not interested in the melodrama and the grotesque, realistic depictions, just read the history books.