Review of The Hunt for Red October (1990) by Nicky N — 17 Jul 2014

The frst time I watched The Hunt for Red October, I found myself seriously disappointed with it. But considering that it was based on one of the finest literary pieces that I have ever read and that many people deemed it to be one of the finest films of 1990, I decided to go ahead and give it a second try.

It is a very rare event where a film adaptation of a novel transcends the level of quality set by its source material, and The Hunt for Red October is a prime example of that. The main issue I found was that the film was unable to establish the same level of intense atmosphere that Tom Clancy did when he wrote the story out. One scene specifically that disappointed me was when Captain Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius murdered commanding officer Ivan Putin. In the novel it was an intense and shocking scene which I did not see coming, but in the film it was over in a second and had little feel to it. There are a few moments in the film that aren't executed as well as they could have been, but as a whole the atmosphere is pretty good. Considering Tom Clancy's writing style where he went into immense description of everything that was happening and the technology behind it, it is hard to achieve that in a film. And of course there are a lot of little story elements that get neglected in the adaptation process, but that's to be expected. Frankly, The Hunt for Red October is just immensely superior on paper than it is on camera.

One of the other most central issues in The Hunt for Red October is that although it captures the language of the film just fine, it does not go into as much depth as it should. The novel primarily got into the depth of the characters Marko Ramius and Jack Ryan although more primarily on the latter, and it got into depth of explaining the technological functioning of the titular Red October as well as the political depth of the film. All in all, it seems like John McTiernan turns the film simply into a somewhat basic submarine thriller and captures certain elements of the political themes in the film as well as some of the character depth, but at heart he is more focused on the aspect of the genre than the depth of the storytelling. John McTiernan makes a film which is a good submarine thriller, but as an adaptation of The Hunt for Red October, his direction is substandard. Still, he does manage to do his part in ensuring that The Hunt for Red October becomes an entertaining film.

From a technical perspective, The Hunt for Red October is a strong submarine thriller. The scenery of the film is brilliant in establishing the idea of being in a battle out at sea, and it is captured with beautiful cinematography which always gets the atmospheric angles so that it can either capture the big scale of the events or zero in on the faces of the characters as they face the events that come to them. The visual effects of the film and editing are also great, so they reinforce the realism of the story. But the most realistic aspect of the film is the fact that the production design is flawless in projecting the design and concept of the Red October, so it proves to be a good visual adaptation of the text.;.

The musical score in The Hunt for Red October is one of the finest ever created in the history of cinema. Composed by Basil Poledouris, The Hunt for Red October features some beautifully atmospheric musical pieces which I find unforgettable. The greatest piece of the film is the song "Hymn to the Red October" which immediately sets the atmosphere for the film before the story even takes off. It establishes the Cold War theme of the film and its Soviet Russian context, and it is followed closely by the extensive and intense piece entitled "Nuclear Scam". The music in this film is so amazing that I listen to it while I drive to give me a sense of honour and determination as a driver. I use it to convince myself "This is your Red October. You are its captain. You have one chance to get to America. Now drive, Captain". The musical score in this film is one I have a connection to, and so I have a powerful love for the music in The Hunt for Red October. The fact that it was not nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original score really annoys me. The music is one of the greatest technical aspects of the film, and while it didn't receive enough recognition, the fact that it scored an Academy Award for Best Sound for the tense audio effects which enhanced the atmosphere at least gave it some strong notoriety. They strike the atmosphere of the film unexpectedly and make things more and more intense which empowers the experience further.

And the cast in The Hunt for Red October manage to put their effort into the film to make it a good project.

Anyone can tell you that Sean Connery is the best example of an actor who is brilliant at acting while also one of the worst at ever conjuring up accents. He in fact won an Academy Award for this for his inability to make an Irish accent for his character in The Untouchables, and so it is no surprise in The Hunt for Red October that he is not able to establish a Lithuanian accent for the leading role of Captain Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius. Even though I found that there cuold have been a better actor for the part. But what Sean Connery brings to the part is the perfect level of sophistication. Decked out in a beard which evokes a real feel of wisdom and standing in a greatly designed Soviet uniform, and although he delivers his lines with an accent that could not be any more Scottish if he was eating Haggis on the Red October, he supplies enough charisma and wisdom to the part. He makes an admirable and strong leading actor, and manages to transcend his limitations with creating an accent to deliver a performance which gets the part right in other aspects.

Alec Baldwin proves himself to be a good casting decision for the role of John "Jack" Ryan. As well as having a tense and interesting chemistry with Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin manages to get the role right because he finds the appropriate balance between confidence and uncertainty which is befitting to the role as Jack Ryan is a mastermind of research analysis but has never been in a field situation before. While the film doesn't convey this too well, Alec Baldwin does his part. And because he is an actor who is hard to see mainly in any single role, he has the appropriate legacy to be cast in the role. Alec Baldwin fits the profile in The Hunt for Red October very well, and while I could not see it before I now recognize and admire his performance.

Sam Neill also gives a powerful supporting effort where he adds to the tense atmosphere perfectly and articulates his line delivery excellently, and to a slightly lesser but still notable effect Tim Curry is able to establish the same effect. James Earl Jones is a powerful presence as well.

So The Hunt for Red October is not such a great adaptation of the novel because John McTiernan gets certain aspects of the film right without truly grasping the depth of the characters or the complicated political context of the story, nor does it have as much focus as Tom Clancy's writing style. But as a submarine thriller, it is a rather tense and well acted film with a lot of powerful technical elements and an unforgettable musical score.