THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
***1/2 (out of 4 = very good) 1989, PG, 134 minutes [2 hours, 14 minutes] [thriller] starring: Sean Connery (Captain Marko Ramius), Alec Baldwin (Jack Ryan), Scott Glenn (Captain Bart Mancuso), Sam Neill (Vucily Borodin), written by Larry Ferguson, Donald Stewart, produced by Mace Neufeld, directed by John McTiernan, based on the novel by Tom Clancy.
"The Hunt For Red October" is a very technical, almost mathematical story about the modern cold war, and amazingly it is more exciting and suspenseful than most movies of the genre because it never sensationalizes. This is one of the definitive examples of what real thrillers should be, as it depends on the viewer's intelligence to put the pieces together and doesn't become confusing despite its complexity.
Sean Connery stars as Captain Marko Ramius, a Russian submarine commander who is taking out their latest typhoon - The Red October. Immediately the film surprises us, as we witness Ramius do something tragic that seems without reason... we can only guess what his motives are and what is going to happen.
We learn more about Ramius and his ship through a conversation between CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Baldwin) and CIA executive Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones). The Red October is an enigma to them, it has a new design that frightens them because they can't figure it out. It's little things like this that make the film great. Just the fact that everything seems so realistic, like this might have actually happened (or could someday) gave me goosebumps because it is a "scary" idea.
As Ryan further investigates, he learns the Red October could carry hundreds of nuclear warheads and cruise through the Atlantic undetected because of its technology. We already know something strange is happening aboard that ship - has Ramius gone insane? Does he plan to use the ship for its intended purpose?
Another great aspect to the film is its dialogue, as certain words are emphasized to make the situation seem intense, especially during a meeting with Ryan and the Joint Chiefs. Ryan believes Ramius intends to defect, which seems crazy, but perhaps the solution is just this simple.
>From here on the film is a complicated story of a delicate situation in times of unspoken hostility. Ryan heads into the Atlantic trying to convince people Ramius is trying to defect, but no one believes him. At the same time aboard the Red October there seems to be a saboteur at work, this only complicates matters more. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if things are happening because of the saboteur or if it's just part of Ramius's plan.
The final act concludes with a great underwater battle. Commanders from the U.S.S. Dallas, along with Ryan, board the Red October and work together to save themselves from another Russian typhoon. Even during all this fighting we are never given a straight story, and this is how the film acts as a whole. We have learned so much about naval tactics it becomes exciting even through its technicality.
"The Hunt For Red October" is a great education in military diplomacy. I never knew submarine warfare could be so exciting.
please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz
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