Despite the technical
aspects of the naval chess game that comprises wartime maneuvers,
The Hunt for Red October thrives on wit and logic to propel the
decisions of the characters, which allows for general audiences
to follow the storyline. The plot utilizes both complex battle tactics
and plausible theories that keep the audience always in the know.
Even as sonarman Jones aboard the U.S.S. Dallas, the crew of the
Red October, and Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones) at Central Intelligence
all receive updates at different times, the audience stays ahead
of the confusion that plagues the warring fleets.
Perhaps the most unique and rarely used device in The Hunt for
Red October is the method in which multiple languages are handled.
Initially Ramius and his crew speak in Russian, and standard subtitles
appear onscreen. But since nearly half of the film focuses on
his crew, during an early scene the camera zooms in on the mouth
of the Soviet Political Officer as he reads from a book. Mid-sentence
his Russian words switch to English, and from then on, the entire
Russian crew speaks in English. A little jarring due to its unfamiliarity,
this idea allows the audience to dispense with the occasionally
frustrating use of subtitles.
As Ramius’ unpredictable actions provoke uneasiness and
sabotage aboard the Red October, the diplomatic mind games of
a Russian Ambassador play havoc on the crew of the Dallas, which
must decide whether to follow Ryan’s unverifiable hunches
or to destroy the enemy vessel on sight. The suspense is excellently
handled by action film director veteran John McTiernan; a sweeping
score by Basil Poledouris keeps up the intensity and stunning
cinematography by Jan De Bont helps Red October to be a film even
non-war-film lovers can appreciate. A classic action extravaganza,
The Hunt for Red October won one Oscar, and paved the way for
Harrison Ford to take over for Tom Clancy’s famous lead
character in the sequels Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
- Mike Massie
