Review of The Abyss (1989) by David L — 03 Jan 2010

This a hard film to review given that I like both versions: the theatrical release is an outstanding work of science fiction. The Director's Cut is transcendent of being "science fiction" in any traditional sense. It is simply breathtaking in its scope and commentary on the human condition as the Cold War still raged (though who would know that it would soon be over).

The key addition to the Director's Cut is what I would term "The Deluge" or the "Day the Earth Stood Still" ending. Brigman, thought to be dead is brought aboard a wondrous alien spacecraft, the likes of which have never been seen in film, and without words are shown the evils of humanity, just as the aliens threaten to destroy the planet with giant water waves. This is interspersed with TV interviews of Americans who are afraid of the escalation of war, but seem very powerless to stop it (a very common feeling in the Cold War era of the 70s and 80s). But, in seeing Brigman's final message to his wife, the aliens' judgment is stayed .... it is done with a great deal of drama without getting melodramatic, and with very little dialog. How this scene was permitted to be dropped from the theatrical release is mind boggling. This scene IS the film.

The other scene ... the one that was not cut from the theatrical release (Lindsay's drowning) easily ranks among the great scenes in film history. I'm not sure how far fetched it was .... I could see professional divers scoffing and saying "ludicrous". This is a great example of where the supporting cast is so critical to making something so unbelievable look so believable. James Cameron uses quick cuts among the crew to get very fast reactions of sadness, despair, concern that visually makes the reactions look believable instead of acted or forced. They are overshadowed by Ed Harris' hysterical rant, but they help provide the grounding that keeps the scene believable.

The acting and writing are great, though several one liners are handed around to the various characters, Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio give truly beautiful performances ... two people in love who really don't know how to balance everything, and end up walking away from each other until they are forced back together (in some ways, their characters' relationship was very indicative of the 1970s-1980s era as the divorce rate went up and people were finding it difficult to juggle marriage and career) .... it was a wholly believable relationship being portrayed. I have enjoyed Ed Harris in several films, and performances like this show why he is among the greatest working actors to never receive an Oscar .....

Any fan of great story telling, compelling drama, or truly good applied science fiction must see the director's cut of this film. It is easily one of James Cameron's best films, with great works such as Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens, Titanic and of course Avatar.