THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

US, 1990, 135 minutes, Colour.
Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones.
Directed by John Mc Tiernan.

Hunt for Red October is based on the bestseller by Tom Clancy, a specialist in thrillers focusing on Soviet and American relationships. The film, released at the beginning of 1990, suffered a little with the opening up of Eastern Europe. However, a prologue was added to indicate the changes and to remind people of the cold war in the mid-'80s before Gorbachev.

The film was directed by John McTiernan?, noted for his thrillers Nomads, Predator and especially Die Hard. The film looks impressive, a great deal of technological detail with the submarines, fine action adventure material.

The film has a strong cast led by Sean Connery. In fact, most of the stars are subordinate to Connery's star turn. However, it proved to be a popular, entertaining adventure thriller.

The two sequels Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger starred Harrison Ford instead of Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan.

1.Interesting and exciting thriller? World politics at the end of the '80s? The change in the Eastern Bloc?

2.The basis in a bestseller, the bestseller style of movie? The work of the director, action adventure? The strong cast? Special effects and action?

3.Widescreen photography, the presentation of technology, sea, underwater sequences? Editing for action and tension? Music, score and choral music?

4.The atmosphere of Glasnost in the '80s? The film set in pre-Gorbachev days? Signalling the changes? The cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States? Changes in cooperation? A film of what might have been?

5.The familiar plot with submarines, nuclear power, threats? The captain and his testing of submarines, conscience and the possibility of defecting? Orders? His skill? The background of diplomacy? The hunt? The intercutting between the Soviet Union and the US?

6.Sean Connery as Raimius? The Lithuanian? His solid and grizzled appearance? As seen by the Soviets, by the Americans? On board his submarine, his skills? Relationship with officers, crew? Putin and Soviet orders, the suddenness of Raimius killing kin, the cover-up? The meal with the officers and the plans? The cook as spy? Bordin and his support, loyalty? The submarine and its extensive technology, the skills in running it, manoeuvring it? Maps? The sailing of the ship, the undersea features, torpedoes?

7.Raimius's motivation, his status in the Soviet Union, America as a dream? Freedom? Bordin's dream of Montana? The strength and motivation for the defection? The cat and mouse with the Americans, with the pursuing Russian submarine?

8.The American investigation, Jack Ryan and his skills, Admiral Greer and his support, Skip Tyler and his knowledge of submarines? The meetings and discussions, the politicians, diplomacy? Ryan and his opinions, their being spurned by the politicians? Pelt and his support? The speculation about the defection?

9.Jack Ryan and his family, ordinariness, his academic skills, to Washington, speculation about Raimius, about the submarine and its technology? Pelt supporting him? Flying and his airsickness, going into action, transferred to the submarine? Collaborating with Mancuso and his staff, the arguments? The decisions?

10.Seaman Jones and his skills, tracking the submarine? Important information? Mancuso and the command of the submarine, orders, hunches? Torpedoes, tracking the submarine? His choices based on Ryan's advice and Raimius's manoeuvres?

11.The Russians, understanding that the submarine was being taken, the reaction to Raimius? The submarine pursuit? The bond between the captain of the submarine and Raimius? The Russian ambassador and his interviews with Pelt, the story about the breakdown, the story and the elaboration of the plot for hunting Raimius?

12.Cult, southern American diplomacy, his trusting of Ryan, fencing with the Russian ambassador? His smooth cover-ups?

13.The faking of the leak, nuclear tension, the crew and their being picked up by the Americans? Raimius's skill at setting up the scare, covering his defection? The spy and the opening fire? Ryan and his presence on the submarine? Bordin's death? The final escape?

14.The action and the shootout, Raimius being hit, the torpedo from the Russian submarine destroying itself? The end and the Americans gaining the Red October?

15.The blend of action, character study, suspense? Cold war, dangers, technology? Diplomacy? Heroics and freedom?