"You don't put on a condom unless you're gonna fuck!" CRIMSON TIDE

Sometimes I put a condom on when I jerk off. Easier clean-up.

I love this flick, too. It is full of good people. It's fun watching Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington face off, and Viggo Mortensen embody inner conflict. Plus George Dzundza, Ryan Phillippe, Jacob Vargas, and horrible death for Ricky Schroeder.
The character conflict is definitely the best part, and apart from that the film doesn't do a whole lot that Das Boot didn't do first. But it's still a good, tense film.

Wait, Ricky Schroeder was the one who had to seal the hatch on his buddies, I think.

Great film, built around character development and acting, of all things! Sure the Russian HKs provide some excitement, but the solid tension between Hackman and Washington is riveting. It's funny, when I first saw this film I agreed totally with Denzel's character but now I also see how right Gene Hackman's captain was as well.

One of the most overlooked movies of the 90s.

 

After watching Taking of the Pelham 123, I found myself amazed that I was enjoying a Tony Scott movie. When did Tony lose his mind with color correction and editing? Was it Enemy of the State or Man on Fire? I haven't seen Enemy of the State, so I'll leave that question in your more capable hands. But before he went apeshit and decided that his colors must be harsh and his camera work doubly so, he made this pretty great thriller "inspired" by The Caine Mutiny. Denzel Washington can do intensity in his sleep these days, but back in the 90's it actually felt like it came from characters he created. Sometimes I wonder if Denzel will ever return to being an actual actor. But I suppose, compared to other actors who no longer play characters, but broad personalities, he's still among the best. So there's that.

 

Like Denzel's career, this movie settles into disappointing and familiar territory in the third act, once it seizes to be about contrasting philosophies on war and people instead just start pointing guns at each other. There were a lot of opportunities for a more interesting film missed here. The central struggle of ideologies is a fascinating one, so it's disappointing when you realise that the film is picking clear heroes and villains. The final three minutes, where everyone is waiting to see if the world has indeed ended in a global nuclear holocaust should have been tense, to say the least, but they weren't because there was no ambiguity. Still probably Scott's best film, though I will accept arguments for True Romance or The Last Boy Scout.

You can clearly see the genesis of what was to become his style in Enemy of the State, but I really do recommend you check it out. I know it has its detractors, but I think it's pretty spectacular. An almost perfectly constructed popcorn movie.

 

As for Crimson Tide, it's so tightly scripted and acted that I have no idea how anyone could dislike it. Still, I do agree that the ending could've been way more thought-provoking than presented. Hell even the clearly "villanous" Hackman ending up being right would've been better.

Maybe I ask too much of a mainstream Bruckheimer movie. The moment you see the production company logo you know this won't end in a global holocaust, so any ambiguity the movie actually had was already lost. But I found the central debate so compelling that I felt it deserved a less mainstream movie. 

 

Also, all of Tarantino's dialogue (or at least, all the dialogue that is clearly from Tarantino's rewrite) is pretty awful and felt completely out of place.

 

 I'd argue that those three are his only good movies, although I'm sure that's an unpopular opinion. 

Yeah, they totally dug into each other. "That's why we maintain more than one sub! It's what we call "redundancy!"

He was the one that had to seal the bay on his buddies. That part was very moving.

I 'm not sure if you saw this, but Gene Hackman's hand was shaking real bad when he had the gun pionted at Ince's Assistant's head.

Its a solid flick with something on its mind and its acted very well. Its one of Tony Scott's best films (I know thats not saying alot) but the man did well here.

 

Liked Viggo in it as well. Really nice touch Jason Robards adds to the proceedings at the end of the movie as well.

 

Love Hans Zimmer's score to this its a thing of a beauty.