There were a few problems, but I was on the edge of my seat through pretty much the entire movie after the sub left drydock. An excellent development of the suspense -- from the nervousness surrounding a crappy construction job to the over-optimistic sea trials like ramming the ship through an ice pack. And the scenes of those poor engineers going in to repair a malfunctioning nuclear reactor... that was chilling.
Although the Russian accents were pretty bad through most of the movie (Ford's accent was horrible to the point of distraction), I really enjoyed this one.
Has anyone read much about the REAL incident involving K19, though? The movie's closing credits advertised a National Geographic website about the real life events, which were pretty interesting. Apparently details like the champagne bottle that didn't break are true. And also, K19 was put back into service after being repaired and decontaminated, and remained active until 1991!
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Supposedly the survivors and widows and such of the real sub had some huge problems with the film, but I couldn't tell you what they were.
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Every single human being in the entire world who was involved in a real life event has problems when that event is adapted into movie form. Mostly because it's only two, two and a half hours long, and it can't be a four hour smoke-blowing session to that family and/or individual's efforts.
If I were Kathryn Bigelow, which I wouldn't mind, although she is a different gender than I am, I'd have taken the BOOT to their FACES.
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quote:Originally posted by Springfield Armory Snay: "Why'd they have to be Russians?!"
Well, I suppose the movie could've been about the first Nazi nuclear submarine, that was rushed into service at the end of World War Two in order to launch a nuclear attack against the United States, but then people would've been yelling about "realism" even more.
Obviously a two-and-a-half hour movie can't do justice to a major incident like the real K-19. But without knowing too much of what really happened (outside of what I read on the National Geographic website), I think that the movie did an excellent job portraying the bravery of (most of) the crew in the face of a major nuclear disaster. Even if those events didn't really happen in the same way, we know that something like that happened, and some real people had to make sacrifices like that.
And you also have to remember that this is Hollywood. When have they EVER been totally faithful to a "true story." That's why they say "BASED ON a true story," rather than "a true story."
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: I suppose the movie could've been about the first Nazi nuclear submarine, that was rushed into service at the end of World War Two in order to launch a nuclear attack against the United States
Actually, wasn't that the plot of U-571? Whatever it was, it was about as realistic, anyway. 8)
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I never saw "U-571," but I think that was about some Americans who were trying to steal a German Enigma-decoding machine that was aboard the submarine.
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If I said I was using irony, would you reply indignantly that you know submarines are made of metal? 8)
We know what U-571 is about; my point was that it was a complete fabrication and ignored several pertinent historical facts. You know, small things, like the British actually being the ones to acquire the Enigma, and the appearance of a German destroyer long after their surface fleet had been destroyed. . .
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it was still a kick ass movie, IMO.. a little talky at first and just a tad convoluted, but WWII buffs had fun.. both watching & enjoying, and making the nitpicks you just did.
Just like I have the ability to watch M*A*S*H and not say 'HEY! I CAN FIND NO HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE 4077th! IT NEVER HAPPENED!'
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I think inventing a medical unit that didn't exist != getting the country that aquired Enigma wrong.
Although in M*A*S*H they did manage to get comics from the future, which was quite impressive. And considering how worked up people get about the continuity in Enterprise, if they ever watched M*A*S*H they'd have a stroke.
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quote:Originally posted by Vogon Poet: If I said I was using irony, would you reply indignantly that you know submarines are made of metal? 8)
Whoops! Heh heh...
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