Crimson Tide (1995)
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A tense standoff erupts aboard a nuclear submarine when a commander and his officer disagree over a potentially ambiguous order to launch a nuclear strike.
The story
Set during a period of political turmoil in Russia, the film follows the crew of the USS Alabama, a U.S. Navy submarine. The ship is tasked with a high-stakes mission: they must be prepared to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike if a Russian rebel group takes control of a nuclear facility. Tensions boil over between the experienced Captain Frank Ramsey and his new, analytical executive officer, Ron Hunter. When a confusing and incomplete radio message regarding the status of the Russian threat is received, the two men must navigate a desperate situation where their conflicting interpretations of military protocol could lead to a catastrophic nuclear war.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In post-Soviet Russia, a civil war leads to a group of ultranationalists seizing a nuclear facility. The USS Alabama is dispatched to intercept, with orders to strike if the rebels arm their missiles. Captain Frank Ramsey and his new XO, Ron Hunter, find themselves at odds over the interpretation of a radio order. After a Russian submarine attack leaves the Alabama's communications damaged, the order to launch remains ambiguous. Ramsey chooses to proceed, while Hunter believes the second, cut-off message was a retraction. This leads to a mutiny where the crew loyal to Ramsey seize control to force the launch. After a series of skirmishes and a tense standoff, the radio is repaired, revealing the second message was indeed a retraction. Both men are later tried by a tribunal and are ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, though both are reprimanded for their inability to resolve their differences. The film concludes with a note that as of 1996, only the President has the authority to launch nuclear missiles.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Michael Schiffer · screenplay; Michael Schiffer · story; Richard P. Henrick · story
- Cast and characters
- Denzel Washington · Ron Hunter; Gene Hackman · Frank Ramsey; George Dzundza; Viggo Mortensen; James Gandolfini; Matt Craven; Rocky Carroll
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- military leadership; duty vs. morality; communication breakdown
- Tone and mood
- tense; high-energy
- Premise and plot tags
- military; nuclear war; mutiny; submarine
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was noted for its high energy and strong performances.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 53; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award · Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television · 1996 · win
- Production trivia
- The film features a character based on the real-life Soviet officer Vasily Arkhipov.; The production was filmed without the assistance of the U.S. Navy due to script content.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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