One of the most influential war films from the 50's, "Run Silent Run Deep" had a huge impact on projects as diverse as "Das Boot" to "Star Trek" (the episode "Balance of Terror")due to Robert Wise's ("West Side Story", "The Sand Pepples", "The Andromea Strain", "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", "The Haunting", "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "Somebody Up There Likes Me!" and numerous other classic motion pictures) taunt, claustrophobic direction and the intelligent script by John Gay ("The Court Martial of George Armstrong Custer", "Sometimes a Great Notion")gives actors Clark Cable and Burt Lancaster material to sink their teeth into.
The plot, like Melville's "Moby Dick", focuses on obsession; Commander Richardson (Gable) finally has a new command after time spent at a desk. His last command sunk by a Japanese destroyer returns to haunt him; when he and his crew (featuring a marvelous group of character actors led by jack Warden, Don Rickles and Brad Dexter)of run into the same destroyed he obsessively hunts it down and, in turn, is hunted putting his crew and latest command at risk. This puts him into direct conflict with his second-in-command Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). To paraphrase Lee Marvin's character in the film "The Big Red One", in war it isn't murder it's killing. The tunnel vision effects everyone in a crisis but when a commander is obsessed with his own revenge, it destroys the men's morale and puts the crew in jeopardy.
A thoughtful, penetrating drama that doesn't have men debating the merits of their morality but integrating it into their actions, "Run Silent Run Deep" deserves to be a deluxe release on DVD (much like the recent reissue of "The Day the Earth Stood Still")but probably won't receive it. "Das Boot" (all three versions)is a great film looking at similar circumstances but "Run Silent Run Deep" has the edge because the film rarely leaves the confines of the boat once the drama truly starts. A submarine is a crew member's entire world. Any threat to it could destroy that pressurized hot dog and wipe out everything including their important mission.
The plot, like Melville's "Moby Dick", focuses on obsession; Commander Richardson (Gable) finally has a new command after time spent at a desk. His last command sunk by a Japanese destroyer returns to haunt him; when he and his crew (featuring a marvelous group of character actors led by jack Warden, Don Rickles and Brad Dexter)of run into the same destroyed he obsessively hunts it down and, in turn, is hunted putting his crew and latest command at risk. This puts him into direct conflict with his second-in-command Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). To paraphrase Lee Marvin's character in the film "The Big Red One", in war it isn't murder it's killing. The tunnel vision effects everyone in a crisis but when a commander is obsessed with his own revenge, it destroys the men's morale and puts the crew in jeopardy.
A thoughtful, penetrating drama that doesn't have men debating the merits of their morality but integrating it into their actions, "Run Silent Run Deep" deserves to be a deluxe release on DVD (much like the recent reissue of "The Day the Earth Stood Still")but probably won't receive it. "Das Boot" (all three versions)is a great film looking at similar circumstances but "Run Silent Run Deep" has the edge because the film rarely leaves the confines of the boat once the drama truly starts. A submarine is a crew member's entire world. Any threat to it could destroy that pressurized hot dog and wipe out everything including their important mission.