RUN SILENT RUN DEEP Movie Review

1958 Robert Wise

Though this underwater action film may not have much to do with the realities of Pacific submarine warfare, it is wonderfully entertaining as a showcase for two of Hollywood's finest stars, one on the ascent, and the other near the end of his career. The special effects are less than perfect—you can actually see the wires towing torpedoes in some shots—but few movies have made the cramped, sweaty interior of a sub seem so real.

Near the beginning of the war, Cmdr. Richardson's (Clark Gable) sub is destroyed by a Japanese destroyer in the Bungo Straits. Richardson survives, but is assigned to a desk back at Pearl Harbor. For a year, the destroyer methodically sinks every American sub that dares to enter Sector Seven and the Straits, while Richardson develops a revolutionary strategy to defeat “Bungo Pete.” His chance comes when the captain of another sub, the Nerka, reaches retirement. Richardson asks the Navy brass for another shot and is given command. The only problem is Lt. Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster), executive officer of the Nerka, who has every reason to expect a promotion to captain. He's also popular with the crew, making Richardson's job harder. That job becomes even more difficult when Richardson announces that the Nerka is going into the Straits in direct defiance of orders to avoid the area.

Writers Edward Beach and John Gay wisely stage most of the conflicts within the submarine. The competition between Richardson and Bledsoe is at the heart of the film. Later, of course, the destroyer vs. sub action reappears, but the most interesting questions arise between the two protagonists. Whatever the subject matter of his pictures, director Robert Wise has been most successful when he stresses the more emotional, human side. It's true from his science-fiction, The Day the Earth Stood Still, to his other fine war film, The Sand Pebbles, and even his musical, West Side Story. Because the film was produced by Lancaster's company, it makes each of the leads roughly equal in the audience's estimation. (In that regard it can be seen as a precursor to the “buddy” pictures of the '80s and '90s.)

The film was also made with the full cooperation of the Navy, and so they were able to create a high level of authenticity in the submarine interiors. The scenes with the most intense conflict between Richardson and Bledsoe are staged in the smaller rooms of the sub, where the bulkheads and ceilings literally force the two men closer together and intensify their differences. It's a simple dramatic trick, and Wise makes the most of it. Also, with the majority of the action set inside the sub, the characters wear simple khaki uniforms, denims, and T-shirts. That lack of fashion frees the film from the dated look so many films of the period have.

In the end, Run Silent Run Deep isn't a particularly serious film, but with Lancaster and Gable in top form—and getting strong support from Jack Warden, Don Rickles, and Lancaster's frequent sidekick Nick Cravat—it remains one of the most enjoyable movies of its time.

Cast: Burt Lancaster (Lt. Jim Bledsoe), Clark Gable (Cmdr. Richardson), Jack Warden (Mueller), Don Rickles (Ruby), Brad Dexter (Cartwright), Nick Cravat (Russo), Joe Maross (Kohler), Mary Laroche (Laura), Eddie Foy III (Larto), Rudy Bond (Cullen), H.M. Wynant (Hendrix), Joel Fluellen (Bragg), Ken Lynch (Frank), John Bryant (Beckman); Written by: John Gay, Edward Beach; Cinematography by: Russell Harlan; Music by: Franz Waxman. Producer: Harold Hecht, United Artists. Running Time: 93 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta.