K-19: The Widowmaker

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K-19: The Widowmaker
original film poster
Directed by	Kathryn Bigelow
Produced by	Kathryn Bigelow
Written by	Louis Nowra Christopher Kyle
Starring	Harrison Ford Shaun Benson Liam Neeson
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	19 July 2002 (USA)
Running time	138 min
Language	English
Budget	~ US$100,000,000
IMDb profile

K-19: The Widowmaker is a movie released on July 19, 2002, about the first of many disasters that befell the Soviet submarine K-19. The movie was directed by Kathryn Bigelow; the screenplay was written by Christopher Kyle, based on a story by Louis Nowra.

The movie cost $100,000,000 to make, but gross returns were only $35,000,000 in the United States, qualifying it as a box-office bomb. The film was not financed by a major studio, making it one of the most expensive independent films to date.

The Hotel class submarine K-19 was played by the Juliett class K-77, which was significantly modified for the role.

Klaus Badelt wrote the film's militaristic score.

1 Controversy about the script
2 Trivia
3 Cast
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Controversy about the script

The producers made some efforts to work with the original crew of K-19, and the script aroused considerable ire when they first read it. Two open letters were sent to the actors and production team, one from several officers and crew members, the other from the boat's captain. Many complaints centered on the incorrect and stereotypical portrayal of the Soviet crew sailors as disorderly, drunken, illiterate and rebellious.

The producers made significant changes to the script and the revised portrayal of the Soviet crew was more respectful. Several scenes were cut and the names of the crew were changed at the request of the crewmembers and their families. When the film was premiered in Russia in October, 2002, 52 veterans of the K-19 submarine were flown in to the St. Petersburg premiere. Despite many technical and historical issues that remained (caused by the need to appease the general theater-going audience), the film and the performance of Harrison Ford in particular received praise from them.

The notion that if the reactor core melted there would be a multi-megaton blast which could involve the missile warheads was an egregious error.

In particular, the attempted mutiny that is shown in the movie never took place, and is still considered an insult to the patriotism of the K-19 crew. However, the captain of the actual K-19 did throw almost all the small arms overboard out of concern for a possible mutiny.

[edit] Trivia

This is not the only submarine film in which Joss Ackland portrays a Russian authoritarian. He also played Ambassador Andrei Lysenko in The Hunt for Red October.