Forgotten war thriller with Gene Hackman in stellar cast is an 'absolute classic'

Few war action thrillers are as grand in scale as Simpson-Bruckheimer's Crimson Tide.

The 1995 blockbuster, directed by Tony Scott, is set amidst political turmoil in Russia. The film features a large-scale confrontation between military units loyal to Russian ultra-nationalist rebel Vladimir Radchenko and the crew onboard USS Alabama led by battle-hardened veteran Captain Frank Ramsey and his new executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter.

Gene Hackman delivers a career-defining performance as Captain Ramsey, while the formidable Denzel Washington gives one of his most unforgettable performances as Lieutenant Hunter. Crimson Tide showcases the power struggle between the captain and his XO, brought to life flawlessly by these two Hollywood heavyweights.

The film's score was crafted by Hans Zimmer who bagged a Grammy for the main theme which heavily utilises synthesizers over traditional orchestral instruments.

Boasting a star-studded supporting cast including James Gandolfini, Viggo Mortensen, Matt Craven, George Dzundza, and Rocky Carroll, Crimson Tide made a significant impact. With an impressive 89 per cent rating on the Tomatometer, the film received widespread critical praise from the media, reports the Mirror US.

One critic said: "Crimson Tide is a whale of a movie, an intense and heartstopping adventure played out against the unnerving threat of nuclear annihilation," while another enthused: "Crimson Tide has everything you could want from an action thriller and a few other things you usually can't hope to expect."

Another reviewer added: "This is the rare kind of war movie that not only thrills people while they're watching it, but invites them to leave the theater actually discussing the issues."

The blockbuster Crimson Tide also saw massive success at the box office, amassing an impressive worldwide total of $157.3 million and securing nominations for three Academy Awards in categories such as Film Editing, Sound, and Sound Effects Editing.

Cinema-goers have expressed their admiration for the drama-packed motion picture, with one reviewer saying: "Crimson Tide is a high adrenaline rush from start to finish with powerful performances from Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. The movie takes place mostly on board a U.S. nuclear submarine where the brink of Nuclear war is imminent. When I say this is a masterclass of acting between Gene and Denzel believe me."

The review said: "You don't want to miss this one. Late great Director Tony Scott who usually does quick cut always in his films is very patient here with leaving the camera rolling on his actors. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through in this movie. You don't want to miss this one. Crimson Tide gets a high 4 1/2 stars out of 5."

Another added: "Crimson Tide is a riveting, claustrophobic, action packed adventure of a film. The brilliant direction putting the viewer inside the submarine along with all the characters as everything plays out in real time is fantastic writing and directing."

Praising the performances by the film's two leads, the review further reads: "Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman playing off each other throughout the entire film is truly entertaining.

"This film has a lot going for it - great acting, fantastic pace, and a great story definitely puts this film at the very top with a lot of other war movies."

One reviewer heaped high praise on the film and said: "This has gotta be one of the best war movies out there. The acting, story, pace, etc. All of it is unreal. This movie is a 10/10. 11/10 considering they yell "Go Bama, Roll Tide!"".

Crimson Tide is streaming on Disney+ now.