The Hunt For Red October
Automaton told me to watch The Hunt for Red October because “I would love it.” When I told him I thought it was just OK he was crushed. Then I watched it again and again … and again. Watching it the fifth time I had to agree that I do love that movie.
For those who haven’t seen it, it’s about the defection of a Soviet submarine Captain and his command crew. Sean Connery plays a Russian with a thick Scottish accent and says things like “buckaroo” and “There is little room in Tupolev’s heart for anyone but Tupolev” – but listen, stop imagining – listen for yourself:
And of course, you must see the scene this comic is based on. Sam Neil is talking about what he dreams his life will be like once they’ve defected. The second quote is from Sean Connery. He’s supposed to be relating his dream as well, but instead he talks about his dead wife.
It’s a trick to get you to empathize with the “villain.” We’re not supposed to like the Soviets (especially in 1990 at the tail end of the Cold War). By making Connery’s character a tragic figure we feel a little sorry for him. At one point he quotes Christopher Columbus: “and the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams of home.” For Connery’s character, though, there is no new hope at sea, because for him home is his wife (arguably) and she’s dead. And don’t we all love Sean Connery anyway? His Scottish accent shouldn’t work in a Russian role, but it DOES.
Maybe you should watch it. I think you’ll love it.
hunt for red october is actually awesome with a suprisingly deep cast- besides connery and neil, there is of course baldwin. James Earl Jones. Stellan Skarsgard. tim curry. (SC: “Who said anything about sabotage?!” TC, exasperated: “*CAPtain*”) scott glenn. daniel davis, even, who I think played professor moriarty in the sherlock holmes episodes of TNG. one of my favourite touches comes near the beginning, when the soviet political officer is in the captain’s quarters, reading in russian with subtitles. camera slow zoom in on his mouth, and once the zoom is done, they switch to english and zoom back out. It’s like “okay, guys, we bothered to learn a little russian but we’re done with it now. You’re welcome.”
sorry, but i am all FIRED UP about red october now. gotta go watch it for like the 20th time. it doesn’t hurt the film at all that there hasn’t really been a good submarine movie since it was made.
There is much room in 2D’s heart for things other than 2D. Like fishyj0e’s comments about Red October.
did you ever play the video game wolfpack? you should. right now. it will satisfy you in a way that woman never could. well…. that might have gone too far. but you will enjoy it.
‘Tis a fine piece of cinema, all lack of regard for casting Russian (or at least fairly Russian-sounding) folk aside. Damn near up there with Kelly’s Heroes.
really? you want to hear russian accents? what is wrong with you. i would rather get a facial full of buckshot than listen to another russian accent. i applaud the producers for not casting one real russian in a movie about russians.
The comparison tells me I need to see this “Kelly’s Heroes”
That, you should. ‘Tis a tale of avarice set amidst the backdrop of WW2. The cast includes many fine actors such as Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalis and even Donald Sutherland as a bat-shit insane tank commander. Mind you, it’s a rather old film.
Hollywood Russian accents are obnoxious. The real thing is not nearly so obnoxious. That, or all the Russian folks in my neighborhood are from the same far-flung corner of Russia. Either way, they don’t sound like Chekov from Star Trek.