The Hunt for Red October (1990)

In November 1984, the Soviet Union's best submarine Captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the U.S. Is he trying to defect or to start a war?

Director:

John McTiernan

Writers:

Tom Clancy (novel), Larry Ferguson (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Marko Ramius
Alec Baldwin	...	Jack Ryan
Scott Glenn	...	Bart Mancuso
Sam Neill	...	Captain Borodin
James Earl Jones	...	Admiral Greer
Joss Ackland	...	Andrei Lysenko
Richard Jordan	...	Jeffrey Pelt
Peter Firth	...	Ivan Putin
Tim Curry	...	Dr. Petrov
Courtney B. Vance	...	Seaman Jones
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Captain Tupolev
Jeffrey Jones	...	Skip Tyler
Timothy Carhart	...	Bill Steiner
Larry Ferguson	...	Chief of the Boat
Fred Thompson	...	Admiral Painter (as Fred Dalton Thompson)

Storyline

In November 1984, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union creates a new nuclear submarine that runs silent due to a revolutionary propulsion system. The Russian submarine Captain, Marko Ramius (Sir Sean Connery), defects. His goal is taking it to the U.S. to prevent the Russians from using it to start nuclear war against the U.S.

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Plot Keywords:

soviet submarine | cold war era | submarine | defection | navy | 

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Taglines:

The hunt is on.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Earl Jones and Sven-Ole Thorsen starred in Conan the Barbarian (1982), composed by Basil Poledouris.

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Goofs

Early in the movie, Seaman Beaumont (Sonar Man in training) cannot identify sounds of a whale. In a mere few days (the duration of the story) he is tracking multiple submarines and torpedoes, guiding the USS Dallas under battle conditions (while Sonar Man Jones is on board the Red October). Beaumont's sudden acquisition of extreme skill and competence is spectacular but never explained.

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Quotes

Capt. Bart Mancuso: Mr. Ryan...
Jack Ryan: He's defecting.
Capt. Bart Mancuso: And he can't change his mind?
Jack Ryan: He's not going to change his mind.
Capt. Bart Mancuso: Are you willing to bet your life on that?

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Crazy Credits

Stanley (Sally Ryan's stuffed bear) is credited as "Himself"

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Alternate Versions

SPOILER: In its original theatrical run, Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) says "A fucking cook!" upon discovering the saboteur. However, on subsequent home video releases, the word "fucking" is replaced by "Goddamn." "Goddamn" is heard in at least some 35mm prints.

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Connections

Featured in The Battle of the Bonds (1998)

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Soundtracks

Payoff
By Basil Poledouris
Courtesy of Orion Pictures Corp.

User Reviews

The captain of all submarine movies

Because of the intrigue this film offers, the circumstances involved tie up neatly in a very convincing way. Needing all of the variables to fall into place if his defection hopes to be successful, Soviet (although Lithuanian by birth) submarine Captain Ramius (Sean Connery) is a very worthy submarine captain. Never cracking under pressure and carrying out his duty professionally, Ramius is the perfect ally to the west in keeping the balance between the super powers in their military endeavours.

Alec Baldwin is good as Jack Ryan. I wish he had stayed on as this character in 'Patriot Games' and 'Clear and Present Danger', because although I like Harrison Ford better as a movie star/actor, Baldwin just seemed better for this role. Too bad he left.

Director John McTiernan uses a smooth pace and lets the screenplay speak louder than his role as the man in charge of it all and the film's photography is tense along with the editing and sound. An Oscar winner for sound effects editing, 'The Hunt for Red October' will put a submarine in your living room if you have the DVD 5.1. surround sound. It's positively realistic!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

2 March 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Hunt for Red October

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,161,835, 4 March 1990

Gross USA:

$122,012,643

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$200,512,643

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions, Nina Saxon Film Design

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1