Crimson Tide (1995) Dir: Tony Scott
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There's something about a well-made submarine film which is just so effective and so thrilling. Tony Scott's 1995 action thriller is perhaps the best example of just this very subgenre, excuse the wordplay. It has been submerged in the depths of my watchlist for sometime, but finally I came to it, and was keen on seeing just how good it would be.
A story of two hard-headed individuals coming to blows due to fundamentally different mentalities, as it pertains to one very specific, potentially catastrophic issue; this is as much a dialogue thriller as much as an action thriller, and a very good one at that. To say this film was intense would be a gross understatement. The pressure was palpable both inside and outside the sub.
Matching the extremely tense story was an equally good soundtrack, which helped to build the suspense and feel of the stakes brilliantly. Even the camerawork added to the intensity and suspense. Everything came together fantastically to emphasise the dangers at stake.
The narrative was well-written and believable, as were the film's key characters. Their motivations were all understandable and, from their individual perspectives, logical. I understood why the conflict happened, which made it all the more enthralling to see play out. It was an excellently composed screenplay.
Denzel Washington was incredible in just about every way. His presence, his charisma, his facial expressions - especially his eyes, even the deliberacy with which he walked was impressive. And that's without mentioning his delivery, which was magnificent.
Gene Hackman made for a brilliant foil to Washington, and matched his intensity superbly. He did very well to ensure the gravity of each scene came across to the paramount degree. His anger was so vivid and utterly convincing.
There were also a series of pretty good performances from the supporting cast members, including the likes of Matt Craven, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, Rocky Carroll, Danny Nucci and James Gandolfini. I was particularly impressed with Mortensen, who was very memorable.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent submarine thriller, headlined by two top tier performances and driven by an enthralling story, which ramped up the tension to breaking point and beyond. This film would've been good anyway, but the fact that Denzel woke up and decided to drop a classic performance makes this one great.
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