Crimson Tide: Special Edition (1995)

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General		Extras
Category	Action	Main Menu Introduction Main Menu Audio & Animation Featurette-Making Of Featurette-All Access: On The Set Of Crimson Tide Deleted Scenes-7 Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	1995
Running Time	111:08
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (76:02)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Tony Scott
Studio Distributor	Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.	Starring	Denzel Washington Gene Hackman
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	$34.95	Music	Hans Zimmer

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English English for the Hearing Impaired Spanish Swedish Norwegian Danish Finnish Spanish Titling	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    This is another in the stable of Simpson/Bruckheimer (& Scott) big screen action extravaganzas. The difference this time around is that the film actually has a tightly designed plot and the legs to generate some rather interesting "what if" conversation afterwards. The story may just depend on a few too many plot devices to be predictive of some future reality, but the presumed impossibility of a breakdown of command or, worse, an effective mutiny within the US nuclear submarine force is questioned with a story that develops along a surprisingly plausible line.

    The film opens with two and a half minutes of in-your-face exposition delivered in cheesy style by a reporter "somewhere in the Mediterranean". A Russian ultra nationalist leader has seized control of a far eastern Russian military base including an ICBM site, and threatens unilateral launch against the US. We're concerned with part of the US reaction - the ballistic missile submarine USS Alabama is ordered to sea immediately and tasked to patrol off the east Russian coast, potentially awaiting the order to wipe out the rebel stronghold. In command is Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman), an old-fashioned Navy man with years of experience from the school of hard knocks. Lacking an XO for the mission he takes on board first officer Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington), a "new Navy" man and Harvard graduate. Both are equally loyal and committed to their role. However, their philosophies are divergent, with Ramsey clearly able to divorce the act of carrying out his orders from any thought as to their consequences, while Hunter continually analyses his orders to see their purpose and ultimate implication. Ramsey is a self-declared "simple man" who runs his boat and crew by the book - he mocks the intellectualism represented by Hunter and his university education.

    The film draws us into this philosophical argument and develops the differences between the skipper and his XO (although it is clear that these, of themselves, could never lead to a breakdown of command) while showing off the protocols designed to prevent unauthorised release of nuclear weapons. Soon enough US spy satellites detect the fuelling of the compromised Russian ICBMs and the film's one inevitable arises: the Alabama is ordered to fire a package of her nuclear missiles at the Russian base. The action begins to hot up from here, both inside and outside the sub. While the orders are being carried out the Alabama is attacked by a rebel Russian attack submarine. She survives, but damage to her radio equipment causes a new set of orders to be truncated. Did those orders vary or countermand the previous launch order? Ramsey proceeds with the only valid orders he has in hand, to launch - Hunter dwells on the possible alternatives and wants to verify the second order. Both men realise that within an hour the Russian missiles could be on their way to the US, and the consequences of getting it wrong, either way, are obvious. To launch or not to launch? Hunter refuses to confirm the order and sets the stage for a complete breakdown of order on the boat.

    What happens? Watch the film.

    Like any thriller, subsequent viewings are not nearly as exciting as the first, but I continue to find this film engrossing. We would hope that the events portrayed are not possible, but the execution of this story is carried out in such a tight fashion that, frankly, it feels pretty real. Hackman and Washington deliver great performances with characters at opposite ends of the spectrum, and are supported by a good cast. This is the ultimate "what would you do" film.

Video

    In a word, brilliantly! All of the excellence of the original version is here, but no artefacts of any type. We have the film's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with 16x9 enhancement. The image is razor sharp, and the almost permanent low and indirect lighting doesn't cause the picture to miss a single beat. Every small detail, in and out of shadow, is visible in perfect clarity. The director and his senior crew have gone to a lot of trouble to use lighting and colour in order to make the images interesting, and it must be said that some of the compositions are simply stunning to look at. These colours are bold and vibrant, and without bleeding. I now have a version of this film that I can sit back and enjoy without having to cringe and make excuses for, and that's cause for celebration!

    The film is dual layered, with the change occurring at 76:02 minutes.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Strangely, the selection of audio tracks is completely different with this release than for the original. Here we have English and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, plus a rather interesting "English descriptive" track for the blind. The latter adds a narrator's voice to the basic dialogue and effects to describe the on-screen imagery. Yet another great example of the versatility of DVD. On the original release we had a 5.1 English track plus 2.0 surround encoded French and Italian tracks.

    I had no difficulty hearing any of the dialogue, but then I know it so well that objectivity might be somewhat compromised. Audio sync is spot on.

    The music track covers the gamut from being powerful to suspenseful to being downright sacred (just watch the scene as the Alabama submerges to the sound of massed choir - truly a counterpoint between spiritual purity and absolute evil personified) and is a highlight of the film. Surround activity is targeted to enhance specific images - torpedoes and the like, without being dominating or tiring. The subwoofer gets a total workout, even adding substantial depth to the music track. This disc should be played at a high level and enjoyed.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Main Menu Introduction

Main Menu Audio & Animation

Featurette-Making Of

Featurette-All Access: On The Set Of Crimson Tide

Deleted Scenes-7

Theatrical Trailer

    All in all, the quality and quantity of these extras really don't deserve the Special Edition moniker, and would not warrant a further purchase if you already have the original R4 release.

• Nothing

• 16x9 enhancement
• Featurette-Making Of
• Featurette-All Access: On The Set Of Crimson Tide
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

    A gripping, intelligently crafted thriller, smartly executed. The reference quality transfer is a real treat to watch and I think is well-deserving of a place in most video libraries.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall