bnorthup
08-06-2002, 05:48 PM
K19 Widowmaker (PG-13)
At the Gaslight
Three stars
Head: 20,000 leaks under the sea
By Brent Northup
The previews for “K19: The Widowmaker” led me to believe this was another “Mutiny on the Bounty,” set below the water’s surface instead of above the waves. The atrocious pseudo-Russian accents suggested that this might be summer movie to skip – surely fishing would a better use of my time, even if I caught nothing (per normal).
But I was pleasantly surprised, even startled, by the depth and power of “K19.” This story of a Russian submarine caught in a nuclear crisis amidst the cold war is a captivating portrait of courage – and a welcome reminder that it’s not one’s nationality that determines one’s place in heaven, but one’s heart and soul.
The story is about a Russian nuclear submarine whose nuclear reactor springs a leak. In short order, radiation begins to fill the sub, forcing the commander (Harrison Ford) to make harrowing choices. His decision is to assign specific crew members to fix the reactor, risking – and likely sacrificing - their lives in the process. Some of the crew steps forward bravely, volunteering. Others slip into the shadows, hoping not to be chosen.
One young officer, engaged to be married on return to shore, refuses his turn inside the radioactive chamber. Later, his conscience torn between love and duty, he reconsiders.
Such moments make “K19” a memorable moral drama. There are wider, environmental themes, implicit as well, of course. But the primary tale is one of vulnerable men facing a crisis where their moral values will become apparent, for all to see.
Other subplots are less gripping, including the commander’s “tough guy” management style and his power struggle with another officer, played by Liam Neeson. Among the more aggravating aspects of the film are the laughable Russian accents.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “K19” has a distinctly feminine view of war. Instead of seeing war as a big video game, Bigelow sees it as a tragic stage where good people die – carrying flags of many different colors. It’s a refreshingly sober view of war, in a time when the drums beat too loudly.
END
At the Gaslight
Three stars
Head: 20,000 leaks under the sea
By Brent Northup
The previews for “K19: The Widowmaker” led me to believe this was another “Mutiny on the Bounty,” set below the water’s surface instead of above the waves. The atrocious pseudo-Russian accents suggested that this might be summer movie to skip – surely fishing would a better use of my time, even if I caught nothing (per normal).
But I was pleasantly surprised, even startled, by the depth and power of “K19.” This story of a Russian submarine caught in a nuclear crisis amidst the cold war is a captivating portrait of courage – and a welcome reminder that it’s not one’s nationality that determines one’s place in heaven, but one’s heart and soul.
The story is about a Russian nuclear submarine whose nuclear reactor springs a leak. In short order, radiation begins to fill the sub, forcing the commander (Harrison Ford) to make harrowing choices. His decision is to assign specific crew members to fix the reactor, risking – and likely sacrificing - their lives in the process. Some of the crew steps forward bravely, volunteering. Others slip into the shadows, hoping not to be chosen.
One young officer, engaged to be married on return to shore, refuses his turn inside the radioactive chamber. Later, his conscience torn between love and duty, he reconsiders.
Such moments make “K19” a memorable moral drama. There are wider, environmental themes, implicit as well, of course. But the primary tale is one of vulnerable men facing a crisis where their moral values will become apparent, for all to see.
Other subplots are less gripping, including the commander’s “tough guy” management style and his power struggle with another officer, played by Liam Neeson. Among the more aggravating aspects of the film are the laughable Russian accents.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “K19” has a distinctly feminine view of war. Instead of seeing war as a big video game, Bigelow sees it as a tragic stage where good people die – carrying flags of many different colors. It’s a refreshingly sober view of war, in a time when the drums beat too loudly.
END