Review of Crimson Tide (1995) by Jim G — 06 Dec 2007

The ending of the Cold War presented something of a problem for jingoistic film-makers and cinemagoers. For years it had been a convenient framework within which hackneyed stories of good and evil could be told. The lines were rarely blurred, and the heroic West could watch itself defeat the Commies from the safety of its cinema seat.

With that framework no longer in place, Hollywood has had to look elsewhere for its villains, but Crimson Tide doesn't bother. Ignore the details of civil war and maniacal rebels and this is Us against Them as much as it ever was. That aside, this is by far the most intelligent of the Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer productions.

When nuclear missiles come under the control of Russian rebels, the USS Alabama is ordered to fire its own in a pre-emptive strike. A second, unconfirmed, message that could countermand the last order is interrupted when communications are lost, and the Captain and his Ex-O are thrown on two sides of a dilemma. Gene Hackman's Captain demands that the missile launch go ahead, while Denzel Washington's second-in-command insists they wait until communications can be re-established and the second message confirmed.

The tension is built gradually and skillfully, and never seems contrived. The strength of the script comes it its willingness to blur the lines, in giving no simple choices for the audience when taking sides. Washington's Ex-O is likely to provoke the most sympathy in his attempts to prevent a nuclear holocaust, but in doing so he ignores the regulations that have been put in place for such incidents. Hackman's Captain is more dedicated to regulations and the chain of command, but he is not an unfeeling warmonger, rather an experienced officer trying to protect his country. While the ending is rather predictable, either officer could have been right, and the ambiguity does much to elevate the film's credibility.