The American Civil War is one of those times that history
buffs love to revel in because of how tragic the war was. There have been so
many personal stories revealed over decades about various people on both sides
who fought the odds to prove themselves to others. Even in bigger events, there
were people who had stories like this. Ronald F. Maxwell's Gettysburg (1993)
and Gods and Generals (2003) were just a couple from a cluster of films made to
shed light on these individuals. By far the most ingenious invention ever made
during this period was the Hunley submarine used shortly by the confederates in
1864. Not long after, the Civil War would end in 1865. What's surprising is
that not only was the Hunley the first of its kind to be a fully functioning
combat sub, but it also vanished quickly after it was brought into the world.
Discovered at the bottom of the ocean in 1995, it was then salvaged in 2000. In
1999, this TV Movie was made to try and explain what might have happened the
last time it was used.
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| Lt. Dixon speaking to his crew |
Written and directed by John Gray (White Irish Drinkers
(2010)), the story follows Lieutenant George Dixon (Armand Assante), a real
life officer who volunteered to be the leader of the Hunley sub experiment.
After a couple failed launches, Dixon tries one last time and recruit a team
that'll make the mission a success. Soon he finds Simkins (Chris Bauer),
Collins (Sebastian Roché), Wicks (Michael Stuhlbarg), Miller (Jeff Mandon),
Becker (Michael Dolan), White (Frank Vogt) and his second in command Lt.
Alexander (Alex Jennings). After being given the "go-ahead" by
General Beauregard (Donald Sutherland), Dixon begins his preparation with his
crew to use the Hunley. The script was also co-written John Fasano, the same
writer to some bad to decent films like Universal Soldier: The Return (1999),
Sniper: Reloaded (2011) and Sniper: Legacy (2014). For a story based mostly on
fact, it's a decent watch. The problem is that it is predictable in a war drama
sort of way. It's rather obvious as to how it'll play out.
This can be troublesome for viewers because this does not
permit the experience to be very suspenseful. It's unfortunate that that is how
the story structure comes across. John Gray seems like a competent director but
the execution follows a structure very close to other heroes who were believed
to be a lost cause. However this particular issue does not take away the
quality of the main leads. Both Armand Assante and Donald Sutherland emote
correctly for the scenes required. They are also given backstories that allow
the viewer to understand why they are who they are. Before Lt. Dixon went off
on the Hunley mission, he was a regular infantryman and was narrowly saved by a
gunshot that struck a coin given to him by his wife (Caprice Benedetti) before
leaving. As time goes on, Dixon also realizes that he and General Beauregard
share the same interests. The supporting cast is what suffers the most in
development though. Although their actual histories were unclear, this gave the
liberty to play with that.
Chris Bauer as Simkins is the brawn and misses his wife.
Sebastian Roché as Collins is frequently combative with others. Alex Jennings
as Lt. Alexander gets seasick easy but will loyally follow his first in
command. Aside from those three, everyone else has brief backgrounds given just
to give them one character trait. One can catch fish with his hands and another
speaks French. Not exactly the most important of attributes. Even the
individuals focused on more like Simkins, Collins and Alexander aren't that
greatly developed. Visual aspects to the film were largely credible though. For
1999, there are some bits that contain CGI, but they're not extensive enough to
carry a full act in the film. That goes for things like quick cuts to the
Hunley submarine underwater or a few explosions. The rest of what was put on
screen were mainly practical sets and props. Clips that had city structures and
interior shots of the Hunley were impressive to look at. The team behind making
that prop made an accurate representation of it.
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| "Ready to dive Dixon?" |
The camerawork handled by John Thomas was relatively good.
Although the film was made for TV and did not have a wide lens, the shots were
nice to look at. Exterior scenes that contained the city sets look voluminous
and the inside of the Hunley certainly looked cramped and uncomfortable for
anyone to enjoy. Each shot gave what was needed in order to convey the correct
setting to the audience that was watching. John Thomas would later shoot for
big name movies like Sex and the City (2007) and Sex in the City 2 (2010).
Randy Edelman composed the film score for sound. Being that Edelman had
produced the widely underrated music to Gettysburg (1993), it's only
appropriate that he scored this film as well. Since the story is not on large a
scale, the music is not as grand in sound. The tracks contain more solo pieces
from either trumpet or snare drums. Both contribute equally though and bring the right feeling for each scene
especially dealing with Dixon. All in all it's a good watch but not as unique
as one would think.
Points Earned --> 6:10
