In 1961, Russia (then called the USSR - United Soviet Socialist Republic) had enough nuclear missiles to destroy the world two times over, while the USA could do it ten times. Inspired by actual events, the USSR believed war was inevitable unless they could show the US that they had strong nuclear stealth capability. That was to be done by the maneuver of their state of the art submarine, the K-19, under ice, surface near the US mainland and fire a test missile. Like most things, planning is easier than executing. The sub had a number of kinks to work out; it leaked at 20 meters then began to seal as the pressure increased, crushing the shell like a tin can, while the submarine continued to submerge.
Captain Polenin (Liam Neeson) is demoted to Executive Officer and second in command to Captain Vostrikov (Harrison Ford) because of the importance of the mission and Polenin's propensity to place the safety of his men before the mission for his country. He is kept on K-19 because of his intimate knowledge of the equipment and the capabilities of the crew.
When there is a malfunction of the on-board nuclear reactor, the prospects of a melt down are prevented only by the courageous actions of many of the Russian crew. Faced with the choice of remaining on the surface and taking out an American destroyer as well as themselves, they would likely start a war. A second option is to dive, and possibly lose the entire crew to radiation poisoning, regardless of whether the reactor repair was successfully completed. The third and last option is to surrender to the Americans and let them have Russia's most advanced submarine to examine.
"K-19" is a film that flexes more than the cerebral hemispheres. As Captain Vostrikov takes his men to the edge in training, we literally see from the outside what crush depth does to a submarine. During a rapid ascent through ice, which is supposed to be only about a foot thick, the vessel has its structural strength once again tested. The "plumbing repair" attempts to the nuclear reactor have the drama of fixing the spacecraft in "Apollo 13." Like two other Harrison Ford movies "Air Force One" and "Clear and Present Danger," "K-19" will merit multiple viewings.
We can reflect on how fragile peace is in the world, as conveyed in the film "The Sum of all Fears"and current events. We realize how close we came to nuclear war with the well-known events of the Cuban Missile Crisis with President John Kennedy in 1962, which occurred soon after the incident of K-19. Perhaps the amazing reality is that it's a miracle we've not had an accidental nuclear war. The long-term consequences of the events of September 11th, with respect to immigration and individual rights, may be longer lasting than the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
"The Sum of All Fears," "The Bourne Identity" and "Minority Report" are good action films (the staples of summer at the movies) that are targeted beyond the teenage mind-set of "Star Wars: Episode II," "Spider Man,""Men in Black II"and"Reign of Fire". Harrison Ford brilliantly illustrates that action relates more to strong drama and suspense rather than martial arts and "suspend your belief" physical sequences. George does have a positive bias toward submarine filmsand Pam's father was in the Navy's submarine service, so there is a predisposition to like the film.
Fans who liked "Fears" yet still missed Ford playing the role of Jack Ryan, will get their Harrison fix here. He is able make you forget that he's playing the role of a Russian military officer, who sees the US as his enemy. Like the ending of "Schindler's List," "K-19", has a soft conclusion that, nonetheless, gives you something to think about and is fitting for the number dramatic and harrowing moments that preceded it.
DVD