MUBI

This is one of those films that I love as much for the making of it as I love the film itself. On its own, it has some corny, schmaltzy elements to it, particularly in the last 10-15 minutes — I still think a better ending could have been conceived. And I am admittedly heavily biased because I’m fascinated by underwater technology and engineering. Things drawn from science tap into my inner geek, like the real demonstration of the rat breathing liquid oxygen, the use of the submersibles, the discussion of high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS), the custom design of the dive suit helments which were made so that actors’ faces could be seen on film and were subsequently adopted for actual diving purposes because of their effective design, and so on.

Nevertheless, the story is a solid, thrilling mix of sci-fi and disaster drama. The characters are genuinely likable and three dimensional. It’s especially interesting if you read the novelization by sci-fi author Orson Scott Card, who wrote back stories for the three leads while the film was being made, which in turn was given to the Harris, Mastrantonio and Biehn as preparatory material for their respective roles. I think this is the first time I have ever seen a film where the audience mourned in silence rather than cheered the demise of the unintentional “villain” — it’s indicative of the strength of the performances. Lindsay’s brave personal sacrifice and the gripping CPR scene that follows is heart-pounding (pun intended) drama that is really quite unique in cinema.

This was an earnest, pull-all-the-stops adventure in filmmaking and it’s fun to watch.