THE ABYSS: SPECIAL EDITION
A film review by Mike Watson
Copyright 1997 Mike Watson
DIRECTED BY: James Cameron SCREENPLAY: James Cameron STARRING: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. RUNTIME: 164 minutes RATING: 4 out of 5
****WARNING: SPOILERS****
This reviewer is ignorant of what hands were responsible for delivering the original version of THE ABYSS in 1989. Whether it was the meddling of studio executives, or the work of writer/director James Cameron himself, the original cut of this underwater sci-fi thriller was entertaining enough but also quite seriously flawed. The main problem was fairly simple: the film's climax was unworthy of its build-up.
Someone at 20th Century Fox - and no doubt Cameron himself - must have agreed, because in 1993 came the theatrical release of THE ABYSS: SPECIAL EDITION. Now available on video, it seems timely to re-evaluate what, in its newly revamped state, is now a near-masterpiece despite its borrowings from films like 2010: ODYSSEY TWO, ALIEN and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THIRD KIND.
The plot is thus. We meet the crew of an experimental underwater mobile oil rig designed by the hard-nosed Lindsay (Mastrantonio) and captained by her soon-to-be-divorced husband Bud (Ed Harris). The rig and its crew are diverted from their normal duties when the Navy seeks their help in investigating the mysterious sinking of a U.S. nuclear submarine. Requiring a dive part-way down a three mile deep trench, three Navy divers arrive to command the operation, led by the edgy Lieutenant Coffey (Biehn). But a series of strange sightings soon convinces at least one member of the civilian crew that whoever or whatever they're dealing with, as she memorably puts it, "aren't speaking Russian".
Meanwhile on the surface a hurricane is brewing and, even worse, a series of incidents around Cuba involving Russians ships and an increasingly nervous U.S. Navy sets off an international crisis of possible catastrophic proportions. This crisis is mirrored in the confines of the now isolated underwater rig, with the trigger-happy and increasingly paranoid Lieutenant Coffey at odds with the crew about how do deal with the mysterious goings-on around them. The human drama is often riveting, with the principal players performing with an intensity that recalls the fine ensemble acting in Cameron's ALIENS.
The stunts, hardware, special effects and underwater cinematography are all outstanding. And so they should be: Cameron's technical credentials are well established. But what ultimately makes the film so gripping is three intersecting plot strands: 1) the tension between old sparring partners Lindsay and ex-hubby Bud; 2) the war of wills between the civilian crew and the Navy divers as a series of escalating crisis' befall them; and 3) the slowly unfolding revelation of what lies at the bottom of the three mile deep abyss.
THE ABYSS: SPECIAL EDITION is an improvement on the original film in two major respects. One is that it further fleshes out the relationship between Bud and Lindsay, a relationship at times touching, at others incredibly intense and volatile. The second improvement is the restoration of some absolutely crucial scenes towards the film's end, when the aliens demonstrate their control over water with a terrifying and extraordinary display of power to a world on the brink of nuclear war. With the inclusion of these startling scenes, the story's climax is now given real weight. Why on earth were they left out of the original? This reviewer finds it utterly incomprehensible.
So then, we have 25 minutes of additional footage that's turned a decent underwater thriller into something quite magnificent. I say "quite" because some flaws do remain. The most grating is several moments of corny Hollywood schmaltz - some new, some old - that may well have you reaching for the barf bag.
Nonetheless, THE ABYSS: SPECIAL EDITION now stands this somewhat maligned film among James Cameron's greatest achievements, alongside ALIENS and TERMINATOR 2. See it and be moved, gripped and spellbound.
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