Longtime readers know I have a thing for submarine movies. It’s a subgenre (ha) with such a specific set of conventions that watching the movies is almost like reading sonnets; you marvel to see how the author finds freedom within the boundaries. This isn’t one for the ages, but it has its moments of interest. Typical motifs include:

– The guy who’s never been on a submarine before
– Uncontrolled dive and ensuing tension over whether the hull will collapse, punctuated by bolts shooting out of the hull sporadically
– Captain exhibits savant-like ability to navigate through narrow passage (cf The Hunt for Red October)
– Crew threatens mutiny
– Saboteur on board
– The old rustbucket sub turns out to be more durable than everyone expected
– Gruff but incredibly competent and creative mechanic keeps engine running against all odds
– Having to shut compartment doors on still-living crew members, guaranteeing they’ll drown, in order to save the ship

Less formulaic aspects:

– This isn’t a war movie or a sci-fi movie, which are by far the two most prevalent types of sub movies. It’s a movie about undersea salvage. I can’t think of another.
– Escape suits. I don’t remember ever seeing escape suits in a sub movie before.
– Businessmen screwing over workers. I can’t recall any other sub movies I’ve seen that have put me in mind of Marx.
– Divers going outside the sub to move around on the sea floor. That’s more unusual than you’d expect.

Pretty relentlessly grim and dark movie with an excess of turns for the worse and not a good one for the claustrophobic to watch, even by sub movie standards, but a worthy little bit of filmmaking nonetheless.