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| Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide |
Capt. Frank Ramsey: Gene Hackman
COB Walters: George Dzundza
Lt. Roy Zimmer: Matt Craven
Lt. Peter Ince: Viggo Mortensen
Lt. Bobby Dougherty: James Gandolfini
Lt. Darik Westerguard: Rocky Carroll
Petty Officer Danny Rivetti: Danny Nucci
Petty Officer Third Class Russell Vossler: Lillo Brancato Jr.
Officer of the Deck Mahoney: Jaime P. Gomez
Chief of the Watch Hunsicker: Michael Milhoan
Tactical Supervising Officer Billy Linkletter: Scott Burkholder
Lt. Paul Hellerman: Ricky Schroeder
Seaman William Barnes: Steve Zahn
Rear Admiral Anderson: Jason Robards
Director: Tony Scott
Screenplay: Michael Schiffer, Richard P. Henrick
Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski
Production design: Michael White
Film editing: Chris Lebenzon
Music: Hans Zimmer
I miss Gene Hackman. That is, I miss new movies with Gene Hackman in them. Lord knows he made enough movies before he up and decided to retire in 2004; IMDb credits him with 100 titles, including some TV series he appeared in before Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) gave his career the boost it needed. There was a time when he seemed to be vying with Michael Caine to be in every movie made. Which is as it should be: I don't know many actors who could bring such nuance to roles like the submarine captain in Tony Scott's Crimson Tide, carefully cutting his new XO, Hunter, down to size before his fellow officers. Notice the way he says "Harvard" in reading from Hunter's résumé, trying to suggest that Hunter is overqualified for the position and that he, Ramsey, makes up for lack of intellectual achievement with experience. Hackman and Denzel Washington are beautifully matched performers in this battle, Washington riding with the punches. Both play with the racial tension between the two characters, with Hackman making it clear that Ramsey regards Hunter as "uppity." He constantly calls Hunter "son" in a way that makers it sound like he's saying "boy." Even when Ramsey gratuitously brings up the fact that that the Lipizzaner stallions are white and Hunter retorts that they were born black, there's a delicate restraint in the exchange in which Hackman makes Ramsey's insecurity and Washington makes Hunter's toughness manifest. All of this is bolstered by a gallery of fine supporting performances, clever dialogue in which Quentin Tarantino reportedly had a hand, and a stirring score by Hans Zimmer that makes effective use of the naval hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." Crimson Tide rises well above the level of most action movies, so much so that we almost regret that the film has to fall back on suspense clichés in which the world is saved from destruction at the last second.
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