Easily Misunderstood Tragic Film

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2002)

It is very easy to be disappointed by this film if one enters the theatre expecting an action thriller based on true events which occurred during the cold war. This is not what this movie is about.... if that is what you are looking for, rent Hunt for Red October.
The cold war is at its height. To maintain their side of the power equation, the Soviets launch their first nuclear submarine..... an imperfect, untested, hastily put together submersible, seemingly ignorant of the potential for atomic disaster inherent in the simplistic layoutof the ship and its reactor, devoid of protective redundancies. In addition, the ship was woefully ill equipped: manuals were missing, radioactive protective gear was not provided, the chief nuclear staffer fresh out of school with no experience whatever. The Cold War logic which made the USSR send such an unprepared weapon to sea,(or for that matter which fueled America's own tragedy by making it send "advisors" to Vietnam around this time) provides the underpinnings upon which this tale is told and upon which decisions in its narrative are taken. It is a tale of heroism and camaraderie, loyalty and patriotism. Much is sacrificed in the service of an ideology we know was false and now know was destined to fail. The message, if there is one, is that ultimate virtues are not as important as what you do for your fellow-men in your immediate situation. Heroism is defined as risking one's life for the many, knowing full well that it could result in one's own death, fully aware of the life-plans one would be giving up. Perhaps it is doubly sad when such knowing heroes are young. There are no easily discernible villains in this movie. One can, of course, blame the bureaucratic bigwigs who sent such an unfinished product to sea and at each danger signal refused to acknowledge obvious inadequacies and shortcomings. The Cold War objective was all-commanding. Cold War logic required the Soviets to respond in kind to the perceived threat of American nuclear submarines.
In the final analysis, this is a very sad movie which in its own circumscribed way evokes the sadness and waste of that whole cold war period. The acting, the mis-en-scene, the music are superb. The interaction between all the characters is peerless. Kudos in particular to Messrs. Ford, Neeson, Camargo, Sasgaard, and Ginty. There seems to be a lot of relative newcomers in smaller roles.... all of them did well and created memorable characters in their brief parts.
I have found critics reluctant to praise this movie. I think they were disappointed for not seeing what they were expecting, a hang by the edge of your seat thriller, so they blame the director for not making the sort of movie they "figured-out" it was going to be. Such silliness. This is a movie that will be remembered.