Review of Black Sea (2014) by Robert L — 01 Feb 2015

Das Booty.

Black Sea is an independently funded British thriller, about a submarine with a hull full of gold and the captain who wants to reclaim it, but I suppose the reel question is will this water thriller be more A Hunt for Gold October or UB-regret?

You can tell where Black Sea plans to go from the outset, there is something clandestine about Roberson, much like Maximus in Gladiator, his destiny is written in the stars and ultimately the film is about him. It's about his thirst for gold, his decisions and his want for redemption, all of which is perfectly articulated by Jude Law, who seems to be getting more talented with every film he makes. But make no mistake Black Sea is just what we find in the movie, an abyss.

The longer Black Sea is on the screen the more the reality dawns on you that this won't end well. The concept of murder and flat out hatred is woven into the very fabric of the film from the start. Unlike other films of this ark, where the crew stick together until they get the money shows up, Black Sea has it on it's mind the very second the submarine's hatch closes. This makes for a tense experience because you are never sure when the simmering menace is going to bubble over into physical violence. When it finally does, Kevin Macdonald makes it have weight and an impact. The exchange hangs in our minds like it does the crew.

Black Sea articulates perfectly how it must feel to be trapped in a submarine, the claustraphobia and cabin fever that goes with it, the entire movie looks like it was shot in a phone box, everything is closed in and dead ended, we are given no relief from this harshness, only more shots of grim looking corridors filled with pipes.

Fear. That's one of the central themes for Black Sea, fear is an idea that is in every scene and an uneasy sort of air to the proceedings. There is no trust between any of the crew, only apprehension mixed with greed. This is a portrayal of real men; each character feels true and worn in. They are rounded and battle scared, this comes completely down to the talents playing them.

Black Sea has a sort of harshness to it that is rare in current cinema, but not uncommon in British movies. You can tell it's a British film even without all the idents in the opening credits. We know our own.

Speaking of own, Black Sea has a plethora of British actors, many of whom I recognize from various smaller roles; Michael Smiley, Scoot McNairy and Tobias Menzies spring instantly to mind. But it's not that batch I want to highlight, no. It is the Russian cast members I want to comment on, they didn't even speak English, but yet they all carry a presence and power that truly adds to the overall tension of the film.

Black Sea is a sleek compact thriller that has it's ideas right to begin with.