K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers (WGA):

Louis Nowra (story)
Christopher Kyle (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

Fate has found its hero.

Plot:

When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.

Plot Keywords:

Nuclear | Submarine | Nuclear Submarine | Russia | Nuclear Reactor

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sam Spruell	...	Dmitri
Peter Stebbings	...	Kuryshev
Christian Camargo	...	Pavel
Roman Podhora	...	Lapinsh
Sam Redford	...	Vasily
Steve Nicolson	...	Demichev
Liam Neeson	...	Capt. Mikhail Polenin
Ravil Isyanov	...	Suslov
Tim Woodward	...	Partonov
Lex Shrapnel	...	Kornilov
Shaun Benson	...	Leonid
Kristen Holden-Ried	...	Anton
Dmitry Chepovetsky	...	Sergei
Christopher Redman	...	Kiklidze
Tygh Runyan	...	Maxim

Also Known As:

K*19: The Widowmaker (International: English title) (poster title) (USA) (poster title)
K-19 - Showdown in der Tiefe (Germany)
K-19: Terreur sous la mer (Canada: French title)
K19: The Widowmaker (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
The Widowmaker (International: English title) (informal short title)
k-19 (International: English title) (informal short title)
k19 (International: English title) (informal short title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images.

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

UK | Germany | USA | Canada

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38941) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Gimli, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

First Light Production

Trivia:

The scene in which Captain Vostrikov receives the instructions for the K-19 mission was shot in a formerly top-secret Russian military command center.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the "fuel fire" on board, the gas jets actually fueling the fire can clearly be seen at the bottom of the frame.

Quotes:

Captain Alexei Vostrikov: How are the men?
Dr. Savran: How would I know? I don't know the first thing about radiation sickness.
Captain Alexei Vostrikov: Please...
Dr. Savran: I'm giving them aspirin. And I'm trying to prevent those who are dying from irradiating those of us who still have some hope.
Captain Alexei Vostrikov: Pull yourself together. You're an officer in the Soviet Navy. Go back and tell them that they're improving. As you say, you know nothing about radiation sickness. Perhaps they are.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Beautiful Boxer (2003)

Soundtrack:

L'Internationale

Interesting angle in familiar theme

Forget about the accents that the actors use in this film. They don't convince anyone that they're Russian. But the story of a nuclear submarine that suffers a leak in the cooling system is fairly interesting. The sacrifices that these men had to do is pretty riveting and some of the decisions made here are ones that a normal person could not even consider! Harrison Ford seems to be having a good time playing a different type of character for a change. And Liam Neeson is actually not to bad as the captain that Ford replaces.Watching the men volunteer to try and fix the leak while exposing themselves to radiation is pretty horrific stuff and its these scenes that make the film worth while.