K-19: The Widowmaker, Blu-ray (2002/2010)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Studio: National Geographic/IMF/Paramount 14294 [5/4/10]
Video: Anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 1080p HD
Audio: English Dolby True HD 5.1, Spanish or French DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Commentary by Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, “The Making of K-19: The Widowmaker,” Exploring the Craft: Make-Up Techniques, Breaching the Hull, It’s in the Details, Theatrical trailer in HD
Length: 137 minutes
Rating: ****½
This gripping action drama is based on a real-life disaster aboard a Soviet nuclear submarine during the Cold War – a story which all those involved in had to be silent about until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Soviets are in a hurry to deploy the sub near the U.S. East Coast to balance a similar American nuclear sub in Soviet waters. Therefore corners are cut and the captain (Neeson) is demoted due to his complaints about improper materials and facilities. He must serve under a new strict captain (Ford) who will command the mission no matter what.
The mission is at first successful in launching a test missile, but the core of the nuclear reactor becomes exposed and it overheats to a dangerous point. Several of the sailors risk certain death from radiation to weld a pipe that will bring some of the sub’s drinking water in to cool the reactor. The captain has to make terrible decisions to avoid having to scuttle the sub, to send some his men to probable death, and eventually to allow a nearby American destroyer to help them or dive and attempt to fix the continuing reactor problem and the spreading of radiation thruout the sub. The nuclear missiles aboard the sub could set off WWIII if exploded near the American base. The difference of opinion among the crew nearly leads to a mutiny – another awful challenge for the captain.
The acting on the part of both Ford and Neeson is among their best roles ever. The cooperation Bigelow and the production crew received from the Russians – including an original crew member – was unprecedented. They even found an old Soviet sub (ironically in St. Petersburg, FL) and added 100 ft. to it to resemble the original K-19. It actually had to be seaworthy (though I expect not to dive!) The interiors were not open on one side for shooting but constructed as much as possible exactly like the real sub. The bonus features are all fascinating: The makeup featurette detailed the amazing work on Ford, who appears as the captain 30 years older at the end of the film – totally convincing in super closeups. The portion on the makeup of the radiation-stricken crewmen was difficult watching. “Breaching the Hull” concerns the work with miniatures, including styrofoam and other materials which were set up with realistic smaller-scale cracks for the shots of the sub’s conning tower rising up thru the polar ice. The Blu-ray transfer looks terrific and the 5.1 soundtrack envelops one in all the now-familiar claustrophobic sounds aboard the sub.
– John Sunier
