Submarine combat gifts a film with tension and suspense "for free". When there's also a great cast, a great director and a great script, you're in for a treat.
"Run Silent, Run Deep" revolves around a U.S. Navy submarine commander, Captain P.J. Richardson (Clark Gable), who is obsessed with avenging the sinking of his previous command, and three other subs, by a particular Japanese destroyer.
Managing to get assigned to a new submarine after a stint with a desk job, Richardson clashes with his executive officer, Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster), who was originally slated to command the vessel himself and is accordingly resentful. These two strong leads go head to head just as the sub returns to the scene of prior action seeking the Japanese destroyer. There touches here of both Moby Dick and The Caine Mutiny.
A hallmark of "Run Silent, Run Deep" is its depiction of the claustrophobic and dangerous environment of a submarine, as well as the intense strategic thinking required for successful underwater combat. Submarine warfare isn't about the action, it's about tense games of underwater cat and mouse with the enemy. The film portrays this very effectively, just as it portrays tension among the crew and between the commanding officers.
The tactics developed by Richardson, apparently while he was office bound and supposed top be doing something else, involve setting up a straight on bow shot on the approaching enemy ship, requiring a very rapid dive. We see, in the film, the captain spends quite a bit of time drilling the puzzled crew on this maneuver - until it pays off against a less significant target than the destroyer. This tactic makes for suspenseful combat action, but was actually effectively impossible with war era instruments.
While Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and Jack Warden were the leading stars, the film's realism and tension are significantly enhanced by a strong supporting cast. There's many recognizable faces in among the crew, including Brad Dexter, Don Rickles and Nick Cravat to name just a few.
"Run Silent, Run Deep" fits right in and holds its own with more modern films like "Crimson Tide" and "Das Boot."
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