Crimson Tide (film)
Crimson Tide (known in Spanish as Red Tide ) is an American film directed by Tony Scott in the year 1995. It is a submarine movie starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by Michael Schiffer and Richard P. Henrick. It centers on the tension between the men who must share not only the cramped and dangerous space aboard an Ohio-class nuclear submarine, but also the weight of responsibility for the nuclear SLBMs they are trained to use, and the mental stress of the direct consequences that this produces. The soundtrack is by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the title song (prominently introducing the use of an electronically obtained orchestration instead of traditional instruments). The film is said to have had unsigned dialogue rewritten by Quentin Tarantino.
Plot
The film is set in 1995 (from various references to the story) during a period of unrest in Russia. An ultranationalist rebel group has emerged in Russia, has seized control of a nuclear missile facility and is threatening to send atomic missiles if the Americans or the Russian government tries to confront them.
The navy is on high alert. The nuclear submarine U.S.S. Alabama is given the mission to patrol the Pacific Ocean and be available to launch its missiles in a pre-emptive strike if the Russian nuclear facility attempts to launch its missiles. Captain Frank Ramsey (played by Gene Hackman) is the sub's commanding officer, one of the few remaining US Navy captains with any combat experience. He chooses as his new executive officer (XO) Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington), who is extensively educated in military history and tactics,
Suddenly a coded message is received to fire atomic missiles at the rebels, based on information provided by satellite that the Russian missiles are being loaded. Before the Alabama can launch her missiles, a second message begins to arrive, but is interrupted by an attack by a Russian Akula-class attack submarine sympathetic to the ultranationalist cause. Too deep to receive communications, attacked by the hostile Akula and with a launch order in hand, Captain Ramsey decides to continue the launch. Hunter refuses to cooperate as he is forced to launch and instead tries to confirm the second message. During this attack a new message is received concerning the launch of the missiles but not completely and correctly. A fierce dispute arises between Ramsey, the ship's captain, and Hunter, the deputy commander, about what to do in these circumstances. As the crisis in command escalates, Ramsey portrays the latter as an upstart Harvard grad who doesn't respect his place in the chain of command. Eventually, Hunter orders Ramsey's arrest for attempting to exceed his authority. As Hunter tries to confirm the second cast message, the Russian Akula reappears. They destroy the Russian submarine, but the Alabama is badly damaged. The ship's communications have been cut off, several crew members have been killed, and the water enters, nearly wrecking it beyond the "crushing depth" limit, beyond which the sub's hull will not hold.
While Hunter waits for communications to be restored, officers loyal to Captain Ramsey help Captain Ramsey escape, who confronts Hunter on mutiny charges and places him and the officers assisting him under arrest.
Ramsey nearly manages to launch the missiles himself, which is only prevented when Hunter persuades the launching officer to hold him for a while so he can retake the bridge with his officers. In the end, he comes to a pause. The conflicting officers agree to wait until the last possible moment to launch the missiles. The communication equipment is repaired in time and it becomes clear that the Russian army has the situation under control and the rebellion is subdued, eliminating the need to launch the missiles.
The film ends in an interview at Pacific Fleet headquarters in Hawaii where several admirals express their grave concern over the failure of wartime nuclear launch operations. Meanwhile, Ramsey voluntarily retires and the young Hunter is recommended by Ramsey for a command post. The film manages to present the intractably uncertain nature of the launch case, essentially not placing full blame on either character. At the end of the film, a reconciliation occurs between the officers. At the end of the film it is indicated that a year later a decree would be approved whereby the decision to launch nuclear missiles no longer rests with the commander of the submarine, but with the President of the United States as Commander-in-Chief.
Cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Denzel Washington | Commander Ron Hunter |
| Gene Hackman | Captain Frank Ramsey |
| Matt Craven | Lieutenant Roy Zimmer |
| Viggo Mortensen | Lieutenant Peter "Weps" Ince |
| George Dzundza | Head of the submarine "Cob" |
| James Gandolfini | Lieutenant Bobby Dougherty |
| Rocky Carroll | Lieutenant Darik Westergaurd |
Release dates
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Panama
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Greece
Mexico
Norway
Peru
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Slovakia
Romania
Sweden
Uruguay
Venezuela
Awards
Oscar 1995
| Category | Person | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Better assembly | Chris Lebenzon | Candidate |
| Best Sound Edition | George Watters II | Candidate |
| Better sound | Kevin O'Connell Rick Kline Gregory H. Watkins William B. Kaplan | Candidates |