The Thinking Man's Action Film...
There are
probably about a dozen films that I've seen, in
their entirety, more than ten times. "The Hunt
for Red October" is one of them. I've probably
only seen "Die Hard" more often and, perhaps not
coincidentally, they are both directed by John
McTiernan. It was probably the first film to
make me truly care about cinema. I'd always
enjoyed movies and I had tons of favorites, but
there was something about this film that made me
care... that made me passionate about
championing it to others.
Why was this film the one to spark my passion
for cinema? I am not sure that I can answer that
accurately. Timing is everything in this
world... and this film was in the right time at
the right place.
I had always been a fan of espionage, of ships
and submarines, of the cold war, of escapes.
This film combined them all with a lead role
played by my favorite actor, Sean Connery. This
film was the definition of everything that I
thought was cool.
The first time I saw it was in Tulsa, during my
senior year in high school, at a twin theatre
with my best friend at the time. I sat in the
front row... Something I had never done before
and have never done since.
As the closing credits rolled, we both sat there
listening to Basil Poledouris' incredible score.
We got up to leave at the end of the credits and
both stopped about half way up the aisle. After
about a two-second discussion, we turned around,
headed back to the same seats and watched it
again at the next showing.
Plot recaps of old films are typically useless
and unwanted. I won't detail the "rogue Russian
sub, led by the greatest commander in the Soviet
fleet, heading toward the Eastern seaboard of
the United States while the CIA's Jack Ryan
desperately tries to fight against the
destruction of the vessel because he thinks
there may be a defection going on" plot... Oh
well, I guess I just did.
The colors... The sounds... The themes... The
Score... The acting, from a superb ensemble
cast... They are all pitch perfect. When I think
of this film, I can imagine it all in finite
detail the way one can remember tasting a great
meal or smelling an ex-girlfriend's perfume.
There is something about this film that is so
damn familiar. No doubt, some of that has to do
with the number of viewings, but there is
something else too.
Everything about this action classic is
believable. At no point do I ever feel like I am
watching the impossible, which is a common trait
that plagues most action blockbusters.
The final lines that both Jack and Ramius share
struck me as a thoughtful and poignant
conclusion. "The Hunt for Red October", to this
day, feels like the thinking man's action flick.
There is no extravagance or histrionics... Only
real tension surrounding real characters who
think and feel and reason more deeply than in
similar films.
"The Hunt for Red October" ranks up there with
"Das Boot" and "Crimson Tide" as the best of the
submarine bunch. However, I feel more nostalgia
for this than I do the others because it was the
first film to make me truly care about cinema as
an artform.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
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