Crimson Tide | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Tony Scott |
Produced by |
Don Simpson Jerry Bruckheimer |
Screenplay by |
Michael Schiffer Quentin Tarantino (uncredited) |
Story by |
Michael Schiffer Richard P. Henrick |
Starring | |
Music by | Hans Zimmer |
Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
Edited by | Chris Lebenzon |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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116 minutes, 123 minutes (extended edition) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $53 million |
Box office | $163.7 million |
Crimson Tide is a 1995 American submarine film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It takes place during a period of political turmoil in the Russian Federation, in which ultranationalists threaten to launch nuclear missiles at the United States and Japan. It focuses on a clash of wills between the new executive officer (Denzel Washington) of a U.S. nuclear missile submarine and its seasoned commanding officer (Gene Hackman), arising from conflicting interpretations of an order to launch their missiles.
The film was scored by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the main theme, which makes heavy use of synthesizers in place of traditional orchestral instruments. An extended edition of the film was later released which added back three deleted scenes, a total of seven additional minutes of runtime.
In post-Soviet Russia, civil war erupts as a result of the ongoing conflict in Chechnya. Military units loyal to Vladimir Radchenko, a Russian ultra-nationalist, take control of a nuclear missile installation and are threatening nuclear war if either the American or Russian governments attempt to confront him.
A US Navy nuclear submarine, USS Alabama, is assigned to a patrol mission to be available to launch its missiles in a pre-emptive strike if Radchenko attempts to fuel his missiles. Captain Frank Ramsey is the commanding officer, one of few commanders left in the US Navy with combat experience. He chooses as his new XO Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter, who has an extensive education in military history and tactics, but no combat experience.