Crimson Tide

On a US nuclear missile sub, a young first officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.

• Director:Tony Scott
• Genre:Action / Drama / Thriller
• Runtime:116 minutes

Cast

Denzel Washington : Lt. Commander Ron Hunter
Gene Hackman : Capt. Frank Ramsey
Matt Craven : Lt. Roy Zimmer, USS Alabama Communications Officer
George Dzundza : Chief of the Boat
Viggo Mortensen : Lt. Peter ‘Weps’ Ince

The film takes place in 1994 (from several references made by the story) during a period of instability in Russia. Units of the Russian military loyal to an ultranationalist have taken control of a nuclear missile installation and are threatening nuclear war if either the American or the Russian government attempts to confront him.

The United States nuclear strategic missile submarine USS Alabama is given the mission to go on patrol and be available to launch its missiles in a preemptive strike if the Russian despot, Radchenko, attempts to fuel the missiles his men have captured. Captain Frank Ramsey (Hackman) is the commanding officer of the sub, and one of the few commanders left in the Navy with any combat experience. He chooses as his new executive officer (XO) Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Washington), who has an extensive education in military history and tactics, but no combat experience.

During their initial days at sea, tensions between Ramsey and Hunter become apparent due to a clash of personalities: Hunter’s more analytical, cautious approach towards his mission and the men, as opposed to Ramsey’s more impulsive, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants approach. The Alabama eventually receives an order to launch its missiles on the Russian nuclear installation, based on satellite information that the missiles are being fueled. Before the Alabama can launch, a second message begins to come through, but it is interrupted by the attack of a Russian Akula-class attack submarine friendly to Radchenko. Too deep for communications, attacked by the hostile Akula and with an order in hand to launch, Captain Ramsey decides to proceed with the launch. Hunter refuses to concur as is procedurally required to launch, and instead tries to convince Ramsay to confirm the second message, which he believes is possibly a retraction of the previous launch order. As the command crisis escalates, Ramsey portrays the XO as an upstart Harvard graduate who does not respect his place in the chain of command. Read more

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