Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

It’s always interesting to see how cinematic convention changes in specific sub-genres (no pun intended) like this. Every submarine movie I’ve seen post-Das Boot has that famous “camera whizzing through the narrow corridor shot” in it. Pre-Das Boot, the camerawork is a LOT more stationary, emphasizing closed frames to heighten the inherent claustrophobia. As for the film itself, t never quite reaches the heights of something like Enemy Below or The Caine Mutiny, but it’s still a relatively effective submarine thriller. I would say it’s main problem is that it offers zero surprises or innovations. All the plots and character arcs are wrapped up in the most straight-forward and plain ways, without even the elegance to have them coincide (they defeat their enemy and learn to trust their domineering captain, but at completely different points of the film). C+

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

If you need The Caine Mutiny on a nuclear submarine, Crimson Tide exists. There’s really no reason to watch this. It does everything wrong and takes over two hours to do it. I don’t know what anyone involved was thinking while making this, one of the most expensive independent movies ever made. But they blew it on every front, and paid for their hubris with a massive failure, so maybe there is justice in this world. D

U-571 (2000)

It’s called a potboiler because, without all the other ingredients, all you’re gonna get is steam. Which can be fine, when done properly. U-571 is without a doubt, done properly. The barest of essentials are given our characters (That McConaughey’s character’s leadership would be put to the tests was already a given. But then the film explicitly warns us “by the way, that’s really the whole character and arc we’re gonna give this guy”, which is appreciated.), the plot is set up quickly, efficiently, and excitingly, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles arise at a steady (but believeable) clip, but because of the inherent Hollywood bullshit (including an execution scene to REMIND US THAT NAZIS ARE THE BAD GUYS), we’re able to experience the rush of “How will they get out?” without ever once worrying “Will they get out?”. Even McConaughey, who I’ve previously always hated whenever he wasn’t playing some kind of creep, bulges his eyes and sweats enough to convince us that he’s terrified. It’s a performance that stops well short of an actual character, but it serves it’s purpose.

Submarine movies are the best for a reason: even capable but middling direction (though there were a few brief moments where I detected Mostow was getting his art-film rocks off, focusing on the beauty of barrels and floating corpses a little longer than absolutely necessary), an anemic script (quick, name one character trait that anyone in this film exhibits!) and the unmistakable scent of Hollywood bullshit (swelling music over closing text about just how totally awesome America was in the 40’s) cannot change the fact that submarines are the single most inherently dramatic setting ever created by mankind. If the mafia used them, our entire culture would be nothing but submarine movies and submarine rap. Also, I should note that my opening sentence about the origin of the term potboiler is 100% made up. Sorry. B

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

A good navy movie that almost takes a great turn when Jose Ferrer torpedoes the feel good ending, even though it doesn’t feel earned. Did Lee Marvin and Fred Macmurray ever do any other movies together? Doppelgangers! B