This is one of those movies that just gets better and better as it goes along. Each scene is more exciting and intriguing than the scene before it. Unfortunately, it does start slow, and the opening scenes could have been cut in half, if not more. But by the final scene (wow!) you will be glued to the edge of your seat.
The film is a metaphor for the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) policy of the Cold War, and like "Dr. Strangelove," it is quite successful in showing how absolutely insane that situation was, and how the personality defect of a single person in charge could lead to total annihilation. Richard Widmark, playing that "person in charge" in this movie, is absolutely enthralling. He at once makes you both fear and revere his character, the extremely competent but overzealous and unyielding destroyer captain. Sidney Poitier is the voice of reason as a reporter stationed on the ship. He provides the objective point of view necessary to see the danger in the captain's actions, and like any level-headed member of the American or Soviet people, is horrified by his leader's actions.
While not a classic, this movie is a well-directed example of the Cold War genre with superb acting. Just remember, if you need a bathroom break, try to take it in the first half!
The film is a metaphor for the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) policy of the Cold War, and like "Dr. Strangelove," it is quite successful in showing how absolutely insane that situation was, and how the personality defect of a single person in charge could lead to total annihilation. Richard Widmark, playing that "person in charge" in this movie, is absolutely enthralling. He at once makes you both fear and revere his character, the extremely competent but overzealous and unyielding destroyer captain. Sidney Poitier is the voice of reason as a reporter stationed on the ship. He provides the objective point of view necessary to see the danger in the captain's actions, and like any level-headed member of the American or Soviet people, is horrified by his leader's actions.
While not a classic, this movie is a well-directed example of the Cold War genre with superb acting. Just remember, if you need a bathroom break, try to take it in the first half!