Action/Adventure/Thriller
2 hours and 15 minutes
Rated: PG
Written by: Larry Ferguson & Donald E. Stewart
Directed by: John McTiernan
Produced by: Mace Neufeld
Cast:
Sean Connery
Alec Baldwin
Scott Glenn
James Earl Jones
Sam Neill
The hunt is on.
The 1990 release of Paramount Pictures' big-budget adaptation of author Tom Clancy's bestseller The Hunt for Red October caused a lot of people in Hollywood to nearly soil themselves out of pure fear of failure. Looking back upon it now with the knowledge of the film's enormous success, it may seem bizarre to think anyone was worried about the film at all. It was handled by a capable filmmaker, John McTiernan, who had had previous success with his films Predator and Die Hard. The film's two leading men, Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, were by this point heavy hitters in the industry - one a legend and the other a rising star. And the film was based on a source material that had a large fanbase. So why all the tension? For starters, there was the content. There was no guarantee that a Soviet/US tension-filled thriller about a nuclear submarine would spark interest with audiences in the glasnost era that was 1990. The budget took on an enormous hike once Connery was signed on to play the film's leading role (the part was originally going to be portrayed by Klaus Maria Brandauer). And, speaking of Connery, the actor had experienced two major box-office failures - The Presidio and Family Business - following his Academy Award win in 1988 (although, he did have success with the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). Nothing was guaranteed when it came to the success of The Hunt for Red October, and yet the film did succeed and it's easy to see why.
The film's story is an extremely slow-burn that, perhaps had it been handled by a less-than-capable filmmaker, would have endangered the entire film and alienated its audience by boring them to sleep. It speaks enormously to the talent of director John McTiernan that he was able to pace the film in such a fashion that its never-ending dialogue concerning sonar, submarine tactics, latitude and longitude, nuclear missiles, Cold War politics, and military/naval slang never at all feel boring or, worse yet, outside the comprehension of a layman audience member. Even more remarkably, McTiernan peppers in throughout various conversations and actions that allow for The Hunt for Red October to never lose sight of its human elements. Yes, Connery's character talks about East versus West and wanting to defect in order to prevent war - but McTiernan dives in further to these issues through the eyes of the characters, allowing for us as audiences to really sympathize with their actions and their intentions. This is largely what kept The Hunt for Red October from being a failure of a Cold War espionage thriller released during the glasnost era.
While its pacing is its best asset, not to be ignored are the film's technical elements. Attributing to the slow-burn that builds to an explosive climax is the film's editing. Editors Dennis Virkler and John Wright keep the sequences trimmed and neat in a fashion that allows for this dialogue-heavy thriller to really settle in with its audience. The film's music is just as remarkable, composed by Basil Poledouris. Poledouris utilizes Soviet-themes and refrains throughout much of the score, but dives into more synth-heavy, stripped down, qualities when it comes time for the film's tension to escalate to its fullest degree. But the film's best technical achievement is its cinematography. Cinematographer Jan de Bont captures the horrifyingly claustrophobic and abysmally dark atmosphere of the inside of submarines, which allows for the film's tension to be bottled up and broil in the minds of its audience all the more. The film's exteriors feel cold, dark, and gray - equally portraying a level of claustrophobia and allowing for the film's slow-building tension to percolate as well with its viewers.
Of course, no one can ignore the performances within The Hunt for Red October, either. Sean Connery shows why he was always one of Hollywood's greatest performers to ever grace the silver screen. As the Russian submarine captain Marko Ramius, Connery is a haunting presence. His sense of authority is believable and felt, as is his character's drive for justice. Ramius remains one of Connery's greatest performances out of a career full of incredible and iconic performances. Alec Baldwin is equally impressive. As the CIA analyst Jack Ryan, Baldwin portrays a reluctant hero to the best of his abilities. It is believable that Ryan has no desire to involve himself in the fight, but nevertheless is willing to do so if it means preventing a nuclear war and saving an adversary he admires. The supporting cast of Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, and even Tim Curry - who may seem miscast at first as the Soviet doctor Petrov, but nonetheless handles himself with a tremendous amount of capable talent in scenes with Connery and Neill - all provide equally riveting performances that are perhaps some of the best of their careers as well.
The film's special effects too remain impressive, especially when considering the miniatures of the submarines were not actually photographed underwater. Instead, smoke and various digital effects were utilized. While this has dated the film to some degree - since when working with digital effects, one must always understand they will look dated within a few years time - not enough of these effects were utilized to seriously jeopardize the overall quality and look of the film.
While it may be dated in some degree, and its slow-burn story and technical/dialogue-heavy script seem like more than enough to sink the film as a failure, The Hunt for Red October remains an incredibly engaging motion-picture that overcomes all of these aspects that should have harmed it. Its pacing is remarkable and director John McTiernan never allows for the film's human elements to fall to the wayside. Its technical achievements are brilliant and help to keep the overall sense of tension that the film needed in order to succeed. And lastly, and not surprisingly given the men involved in these roles, the film is full of incredible actors giving some of the best performances of their entire careers. In short, The Hunt for Red October succeeds as being a quintessential example for how to make an engaging thriller out of elements most Hollywood thrillers shy away from - especially these days.
9.5/10
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