Review of Crimson Tide (1995) by Meritcoba — 23 Sep 2016

Nuclear devastation threatens the west coast of the United States when Russian rebels capture several intercontinental missile bases in Siberia and declare war against the USA. The crew of the submarine USS Alabama is in the midst of this modern missile crisis when the order arrives to launch the pre-emptive strike. Then communications break down, but not before a last garbled message comes through.

Now the captain, played by veteran Gene Hackman, and his second in command, played by the gifted Denzel Washington, face off: fire as ordered, and possibly trigger a global nuclear war, or reestablish communications, and thus risking the submarine and cause a delay with possibly disastrous consequences for the US. A rebel submarine makes matters more difficult.

The movie is commendable in that it remains focused on the crew and we know not much more than they do. This makes us feel as they do. However, Crimson Tide lacks flow. Flow is when events in the movie feel as being part of a natural progress that makes the story move forward. A movie lacks flow when we start to wonder.

With Crimson Tide it starts with the assignment of Washington to the Alabama. It somehow feels strange that an important ship like the Alabama gets a second in command assigned who knows nothing of that particular ship, has no experience and seems of a different disposition that his commanding officer. But then stranger things happen.

Next is the garbled message. Just when the Alabama loses contact with central command they get this garbled message. Is it a recall of the previous order? Nobody knows..but how convenient that it arrives just in time to lay a seed of doubt and stir the fires of conflict. But it could happen. Stranger things have.

Next then is that when Washington convinced Hackman to reestablish contact with headquarters using a buoy, the winch breaks down and makes such noise that it alerts the rebel submarine. How very convenient. But stranger things have happened.

Next, the Alabama succeeds in destroying the Russian submarine even though the latter fires four torpedos first on the latter. But the only two torpedo's fired by the Alabama do hit. It could happen. Stranger things have.

However, the last torpedo damages the Alabama and it sinks to the bottom of the sea, reaches hull crushing depth, but just in time regains buoyancy and escapes in the nick of time. Well. It could happen, stranger things have.

Then when the Alabama is in the position to reestablish contact with central command the transmitter is broken. And when the confrontation between Hackman and Washington reaches boiling point, it suddenly works again. It could happen.Stranger things have.

But having so many events conveniently happen breaks the flow of the story. Strange things happen, a series of strange things is extremely rare. And if a story requires them to be there otherwise there would be no story is bad story telling.

Compare Crimson Tide to the Caine Mutiny which has no such odd incidents. It is a natural story that has flow. Crimson Tide can only exist because it requires exceptional strange things to happen. This is its main flaw.

No excellent acting by Hackman, Washington and Mortensen can repair that damage.