Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide (1995)

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: Tony Scott

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Matt Craven, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini

From: Hollywood Pictures

Denzel and Gene in a tense drama? Shame on me for not seeing this before. At the end I’ll mention the sad fate of Gene Hackman but I’d rather not think of his final days. Rather, I’m happy to discuss a serious 90’s drama, the type of big R-rated drama we just don’t get any longer.

The opening act sets up the scenario well; there’s a serious threat in Russia which could start nuclear war. Hackman is the leader on a submarine, and Washington the second-in-command. The plot also presents each of the main players on the sub rather well, establishing their personalities and how they react to the main conflict: should the brash but experienced Gene launch missiles at a Russian base despite not receiving the full message to do so, or is the tactical but inexperienced Denzel right to exhibit caution and wait? Both opinions are valid, & presented as such.

It was not just the two leads that were captivating. There’s a cast of familiar faces, some of which became famous later. It was nice to see That Guy actor Matt Craven, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini, Steve Zahn, Ryan Philippe, and in terms of acting (not necessarily his political/personal opinions) Rick Schroeder. It was filmed well by Tony Scott, built the tension and conflict rather well-it’s awhile before the main issue arises-and at least to my amusement, the uncredited contributions of Tarantino to the script. When 1950’s submarine movie talk and references to Silver Surfer comics suddenly pop up, it is as obvious as the nose on your face!

Whether or not those pop culture moments were needed is up for debate. Crimson Tide was a movie I was happy to finally discuss here, even if it took a tragic death to do so. It was nice to see a mature, sweaty motion picture like this. Hackman was a key component in making the film a successful missile strike. What a tragedy his final days were: stricken w/ Alzheimer’s, his spouse for decades dying of a rare virus and he spent the final week of his life alone. That is a shame, along w/ the online scuttlebutt somehow blaming their children for what happened. 

I’d rather think of Gene Hackman, the man before the tragic last moments of his life and him as a tremendous actor who I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid.