Crimson Tide (film)

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Crimson Tide
The movie poster for Crimson Tide.
Directed by	Tony Scott
Produced by	Jerry Bruckheimer Don Simpson
Written by	Michael Schiffer Richard P. Henrick
Starring	Gene Hackman Denzel Washington
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Cinematography	Dariusz Wolski
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s)	May 12 1995
Running time	116 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Crimson Tide is a 1995 Hollywood submarine film starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman and directed by Tony Scott. It is a typical submarine film, in that it focuses on the tension that occurs between the men who must not only share the scarce and dangerous space aboard an Ohio-class nuclear submarine, but also the weight of responsibility for the nuclear SLBMs they are trained to deploy, and the mental stress of the dire consequences that could result from this. The film was scored by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the title song (notably introducing the heavy use of electronically mimicked orchestration in place of traditional instruments).

1 Plot
2 Background
3 Trivia
4 Awards
5 Cast
6 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film takes place in 1995 (from several references made by the story) during a period of instability in Russia. An ultranationalist has taken control of a nuclear missile installation and is threatening nuclear war if either the Americans or the Russian government attempt to confront him.

The United States nuclear strategic missile submarine U.S.S. Alabama is given the mission to go on patrol and be available to launch its missiles in a pre-emptive strike if the Russian nuclear installation attempts to fuel its missiles, in which case they can be launched one hour after the fueling process begins. Captain Frank Ramsey (Hackman) is the commander of the sub, one of the very few Captains remaining in the US Navy with any experience in combat. He chooses as his new executive officer (XO) Lt. Commander Ron Hunter (Washington), who has an extensive education in military history and tactics, but no combat experience.

The Alabama eventually receives an order to launch its missiles on the Russian nuclear installation, based on satellite information that the missiles are being fueled. However, before the Alabama can launch its missiles, a second message begins to come through, but is interrupted by the attack of a Russian Akula-class attack submarine friendly to the ultranationalist cause, which is destroyed in open combat. The communications systems are damaged in the attack, the remainder of the message cannot be received, and the message cannot be authenticated. Cut off from communications, attacked by the hostile Akula and with an order in hand to launch, Capt. Ramsey decides to proceed with the launch. XO Hunter refuses to concur as is procedurally required to launch, and instead tries to confirm the second message, which he believes is a retraction of the previous launch order.

Hunter and Ramsey

Eventually, Hunter orders the arrest of Ramsey for attempting to exceed his authority, Ramsey escapes confinement to confront Hunter with charges of mutiny, and the two men struggle for control. Eventually, the crew divides into those loyal to the captain and those who do not want to risk nuclear war. Ramsey (white) and Hunter (black) exchange overt allusions to race as the command crisis escalates, and Ramsey portrays the XO as an upstart Harvard graduate who does not respect his place in the chain of command. In the end, the communications equipment is repaired and it turns out that the Russian army has the situation under control and the rebellion is subdued, eliminating the need to launch the missiles.

The movie culminates in a review at the Pacific Fleet headquarters in Hawaii where several admirals express grave concern about the breakdown of nuclear launch operations in wartime. While the elder Ramsey voluntarily retires and the young Hunter is given a command, the movie aims to present the intractably uncertain nature of the launch scenario, in essence placing full blame on neither character. A gentlemen’s reconciliation between officers occurs at the closure of the film.

[edit] Background

The film is based on the premise that, at the time, U.S. submarine commanders were authorized to launch missiles on their own initiative if they could not communicate with the President of the United States after the order to arm the missiles was received. At about this time, the procedure was changed so that missiles could only be launched if a direct order from the Commander-in-Chief was received, even if communications had been broken off in the meantime. This matched Russian policy on submarine-based missile launches, which had always required direct orders to launch.

Although the film does not claim to be based on a true story, events that transpire throughout the plot are strikingly similar to one of the most tense periods of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On October 27, 1962, a Soviet submarine officer named Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov reportedly refused to comply with the launch of a nuclear warhead while under attack by a U.S. warship near Cuba [1]. In order to initiate such an attack, Soviet naval procedures stated that the captain and two other officers must concur [2]. The other officer on duty agreed to the launch, but Arkhipov convinced the captain to wait for instructions from Moscow before proceeding.

[edit] Trivia

The name of the film is a reference to one of the nicknames of the University of Alabama football team. There are several allusions to University of Alabama customs and traditions in the film. Before boarding the sub, the crew gives the cheer "Go 'Bama! Roll Tide!" commonly heard at UA sporting events. In one scene, the crew is heard playing the Lynyrd Skynyrd song Sweet Home Alabama. Captain Ramsey's dog is named Bear, presumably after long time Crimson Tide football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
The U.S. Navy refused to assist with the making of the movie because it depicts a mutiny on a US naval vessel. This is in contrast with its cooperation during the filming of the The Caine Mutiny in the early 1950s.
U.S. Navy submarines sometimes use red lighting in the control room to allow the Officer of the Deck's vision to adjust for night-time periscope viewing.
Ohio-class SSBNs have no compartment called bilge bay despite its presence in the film.
Though credited to screenwriter Michael Schiffer, the film had at least three script doctors: Quentin Tarantino, James Toback and Robert Towne.

The real USS Alabama

The scene showing an enlisted Navy Seaman having been assigned to care for Ramsey’s terrier outside of the stately, special review tribunal building has been parodied in television shows such as the Simpsons.
Due to the Navy's refusal to cooperate with the filmmakers, they were unable to obtain footage of a submarine submerging. After checking to ensure that they would break no laws, they waited until a submarine--coincidentally, the real USS Alabama--put out to sea, then pursued it in boats and a helicopter, filming it as they went. After warning them away, the Alabama submerged, apparently to be rid of them, giving them the exact footage they needed which was incorporated into the film.
The panel of high-ranking naval officers at the end of the film included a real former captain of the USS Alabama.
In the film, claims made by the Russian leader, according to news broadcasts, directly parallel sensationalist claims in the early 1990s by real-life Russian leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

[edit] Awards

As of 2005, this film was one of only two films (the other being Philadelphia) in history to feature three actors who had won, or would go on to win, two Academy Awards for acting: Jason Robards had won two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor in 1976 (All the President's Men) and 1977 (Julia); Gene Hackman won a Best Actor Oscar for The French Connection in 1971 and a Best Supporting Actor award in 1992 for Unforgiven. Denzel Washington had already received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory in 1989, and later won a Best Actor Oscar for his 2001 role in Training Day.