The challenge of command

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2006)

The conflict prophesied by de Tocqueville between the US and USSR (Russia) runs to the roots of European civilization: authoritarian Sparta vs democratic Athens, eclectic heterodox Rome vs baroque Byzantium, middle class revolution vs working class revolution, the same theme bobs in and out of European history popping up in different form.
In the evolution of the conflict spoken of in this movie, the shields and swords have been replaced by thermonuclear weapons and USSR faces some tense moments in the arms race. They've developed a nuclear sub which Mr K has given the Red Navy but who shall command? There is Capt Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson). Mikhail is all Navy and worshiped by the men. The Soviet admiralty's concern is that he's a little too much in league with the men and won't take the right risks. Higher headquarters decides to supersede Capt Polenin with Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) who has better standing in the political apparatus and is more daring. "Without me," Capt Vostrikov tells the crew, "you are nothing; without you I am nothing." Though Captain Polenin professes that the change does not concern him, "It's never difficult to do one's duty," Polenin tells Captain Vostrikov, the tension between hard charging, mission oriented Vostrikov and the plodder, crew oriented Polenin always hovering near the surface, explodes when Vostrikov brings the vessel from crush depth to break through the polar ice in seconds.
The real test of strength is just over the horizon. Like American vessels fitted with poor equipment to serve political ends, the Soviets have skimped not a bit on valves and dials. Can the democratic leader Polenin work with the autocratic leader Vostrikov to save the vessel? The film is interesting for presenting the essential contradiction, or dialectic to take a liberty with the Soviet political lexicon, in command. Leadership has two faces: one which argues for the men and the other for the mission. Before he had any idea of what this meant, Captain Vostrikov correctly said this on the ship's dedication.
Only few films compare to the magnificence with which the conflict between different styles of leadership: Twelve O'Clock High, Major Dundee and the Godfather.