When the rights were optioned for Tom Clancy's novel The Hunt for Red October the search for a director began. An action, thriller about submarines, with close quarters and tight spaces needed a director with a keen eye. Who better than the man responsible for the action spectacle known as Die Hard. In that film, John McTiernan took Bruce Willis and placed him in a skyscraper, filled with small spaces: an elevator shaft, air ducts, tight hallways. Die Hard was not only a box office success, but an extremely well reviewed film and one that changed the way action movies were being made.
So with the excellent Predator and the even better Die Hard behind him, McTiernan went on to make Red October, and like his two previous efforts, The Hunt for Red October excelled on all levels. The acting, the effects, the story, the editing, the cinematography, the music and the directing were all top notch and proved that McTiernan was no flash in the pan director.
I hadn't seen Red October in a few years, and since it's début on VHS I have probably seen it 8 or 9 times. Even still, 22 years after it debuted in theatres, Red October had me thrilled from the beginning to the end. The movie felt shorter than it's 134 minute run time and had me glued to my seat from minute one.
Like his three earlier films, McTiernan starts the film with the protagonist arriving or on the move. Nomads had Pierce Brosnan arriving at a hospital; Predator had Arnold Schwarzenegger arriving in the jungle, Die Hard had Bruce Willis landing in L.A. Here we have two protagonists. First we meet Sean Connery, speaking Russian, and within two cuts he gives orders to get his submarine on the move. Then we meet Alec Baldwin, playing Jack Ryan, who packs a bag and leaves for the airport. In fact, the airplane scenes and the airport scenes at the beginning seem to be directly taken out of Die Hard and feel very much like the opening of that very movie. And again, like those three movies, Red October ends with Baldwin leaving, this time on an airplane.
Red October's story is about a Russian submarine that appears to be heading to American soil, for reasons unknown, and Jack Ryan who is the only one who seems to be able to figure it his motives. The movie begins as a tense thriller and by the end is an all out action film that mimics (not in a bad way) Die Hard and all the things that made it great. There is a multitude of thrilling moments, poignant character moments and fantastic action sequences. The Russians actually speak Russian and in one amazing zoom shot, it changes to English. As a Russian officer reads from a book, the camera zooms in on his lips and mid-sentence he changes from Russian to English. Absolutely phenomenal.
Both Connery and Baldwin are fantastic, bringing both gravitas and bravado to their roles and performances. The supporting cast is equally good, with roles handled by Scott Glen,, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill and James Earl Jones. Not a poor performance is on hand and this is key as most of the action takes place in small spaces that would make the acting even more noticeable, if of course the acting wasn't very good.
It would be hard to tell one submarine from another, but McTiernan and cinematographer Jan de Bont do an amazing job, using colours to distinguish between the interior of the u-boats. The underwater photography is exceptional and the effects hold up to this day. In fact, watching The Hunt for Red October feels like watching a movie that was made this year. The hairstyles, the make-up, the costumes all seem so modern. McTiernan must of learned something about this after Nomads as his pictures since then have held up incredibly well. The music too is utterly unforgettable, mixing a pulse pounding symphonic score with classic Russian hymns.
McTiernan doesn't waste a second or shot in this film. Red October is tightly edited and keeps the audience propelled all the way through. The intriguing story, the awesome music, the great acting (the ever so fantastic presence of Sean Connery is never a bad thing) and the awesome cinematography, with it's long takes, obscure angles and great colours, really do make The Hunt for Red October an exciting and thrilling event.
By 1990 McTiernan had been responsible for three of the biggest grossing movies between 1987 and 1990. At the time, two of the three movies were incredibly well received by critics and by the mid 2000's the third one joined in the praise. These three movies set a template for the action films that would follow in their wake. As well, all three films became franchises. Predator has three films (five if you count the Alien/Predator hybrids); Die Hard has four (with a fifth on the way); Jack Ryan has four (also with a fifth on the way).
So what would McTiernan do next? Would his next film be on par with his track record so far? Would he stick to action or return to the horror genre, or maybe try something completely different? These questions, along with many others, would be answered in 1992...
Film Rating: 94%
Breakdown (How The Hunt for Red October scored 94%):
Production Design: 9 out of 10
Cinematography: 10 out of 10
Re-playability: 10 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Costumes: 8 out of 10
Directing: 10 out of 10
Editing: 10 out of 10
Acting: 10 out of 10
Music: 10 out of 10
Script: 9 out of 10
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