"The hunt for Red October" has things in common with both "Das Boot" (1981, Wolfgang Petersen) and "Dr Strangelove" (1964, Stanley Kubrick"). In both cases however the comparison is unfavorable to "The hunt for Red October".
Things in common with "Das Boot" because both films are situated on a submarine. The comparison is unfavorable because in the first place "Hunt for Red October" more frequently alternates between scenes in the submarine and on shore scenes. Therefore it less effectively conveys the feeling of claustrophobia than "Das Boot". In the second place a strong element of "Das Boot" was the alternation between action- and waiting sequences. "The hunt for Red October", as a more action oriented movie, misses this alternation.
Things in common with "Dr Strangelove" because in both films there is a mad military officer intent on causing the Third World War. In "Dr Strangelove" the madman is American, in "The hunt for Red October" it is a Russian. In "Dr Strangelove" it is for sure that the officier is mad, in "The hunt for Red October" Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery) leaves his Russian crewmembers, the American intelligence and the spectators in the dark until the very end. This keeps the tension high, but in comparison with "Dr Strangelove" the cynical Cold War humor is missing. On top of that, in spite of his reputation, is the performance of Sean Connery in my opinion inferior to that of Sterling Hayden in "Dr Strangelove".
Things in common with "Das Boot" because both films are situated on a submarine. The comparison is unfavorable because in the first place "Hunt for Red October" more frequently alternates between scenes in the submarine and on shore scenes. Therefore it less effectively conveys the feeling of claustrophobia than "Das Boot". In the second place a strong element of "Das Boot" was the alternation between action- and waiting sequences. "The hunt for Red October", as a more action oriented movie, misses this alternation.
Things in common with "Dr Strangelove" because in both films there is a mad military officer intent on causing the Third World War. In "Dr Strangelove" the madman is American, in "The hunt for Red October" it is a Russian. In "Dr Strangelove" it is for sure that the officier is mad, in "The hunt for Red October" Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery) leaves his Russian crewmembers, the American intelligence and the spectators in the dark until the very end. This keeps the tension high, but in comparison with "Dr Strangelove" the cynical Cold War humor is missing. On top of that, in spite of his reputation, is the performance of Sean Connery in my opinion inferior to that of Sterling Hayden in "Dr Strangelove".