A political thriller set during the Cold War and based on Tom Clancy's bestselling book by the same name, The Hunt for Red October is the ultimate cat-and-mouse game with Sean Connery heading the Soviet nuclear submarine, the Red October. Connery and Baldwin deliver magnificent performances as the Russian naval captain and a CIA analyst, respectively. Jack Ryan (Baldwin) finds himself in the middle of a potential prelude to global nuclear war as the seemingly insane Captain Marco Ramius (Connery) steers the Red October toward the United States, supposedly as a hostile move.
Running slightly over two hours in length, Red October perfectly captures the state of tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. as the suspense never lifts from the film. The directing style is very effective in depicting the fears of impending warfare against foreign and new weapons, and the fears of the individuals who try to prevent it. The moody lighting alone portrays these fears beautifully. The score by Basil Poledouris is superb, using both Russian lyrics and various submarine sounds to envelop the viewer in the lives of those who must ask men to risk their lives in close spaces underwater. Supporting cast members including Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill reflect very well on the roles of both Baldwin and Connery by acting as foils to round out the other two characters and to emphasize the fact that the characters are complex individuals, not a mass of good vs. evil or the United States vs. the Soviet Union.
While the technical and naval jargon and outdated technology may put off some viewers, it is easily one of the best movies of the past fifty years. Utilizing the talents of several big-name stars, Red October will continue to be an excellent example of how political thrillers should be done: not with fancy explosions and half-baked explanations for characters' actions, but with heart and tone indicating that the stars of the film are the characters and the plot, not the special effects which Hollywood has become addicted to in order to draw in audiences.
Running slightly over two hours in length, Red October perfectly captures the state of tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. as the suspense never lifts from the film. The directing style is very effective in depicting the fears of impending warfare against foreign and new weapons, and the fears of the individuals who try to prevent it. The moody lighting alone portrays these fears beautifully. The score by Basil Poledouris is superb, using both Russian lyrics and various submarine sounds to envelop the viewer in the lives of those who must ask men to risk their lives in close spaces underwater. Supporting cast members including Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill reflect very well on the roles of both Baldwin and Connery by acting as foils to round out the other two characters and to emphasize the fact that the characters are complex individuals, not a mass of good vs. evil or the United States vs. the Soviet Union.
While the technical and naval jargon and outdated technology may put off some viewers, it is easily one of the best movies of the past fifty years. Utilizing the talents of several big-name stars, Red October will continue to be an excellent example of how political thrillers should be done: not with fancy explosions and half-baked explanations for characters' actions, but with heart and tone indicating that the stars of the film are the characters and the plot, not the special effects which Hollywood has become addicted to in order to draw in audiences.