Customer Reviews

Deadly Voyage [VHS]

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HBO prides itself--with some justification--on its hard hitting, made for cable fare. "Deadly Voyage," based on a real-life incident, in which several African stowaways on a cargo ship to France (and ultimately, they hope, to the U.S.) are caught by the crew and brutally murdered. The lone survivor sees to it that justice is eventually served, but not before a harrowing escape that stays with you well after the film is over.

The racial theme is but one of the many explored here. The murderous crew are post-Communist Russians and Romanians whose desperate attempt to preserve their jobs (if the stowaways are discovered they'll likely be sacked by the international shipping firm they feel lucky to have found work with). It thus becomes a battle of wills between representatives of two desperate camps. (At one point, a Russian sailor asks the Africans how much they make a day in their home country. Told that the Africans make about $3.00 a day, he responds that in contemporary Russia and the Ukraine, they could only make $1.00. This kind of one-downsmanship suggests that the real reason they resort to murder has less to do with race--although that certainly is a factor--and more to do with the dehumanizing effects of poverty and social turmoil.

The pacing of "Deadly Voyage" could have been better. The fact that it's relatively low budget does show. Despite the fact that it is a very well acted film, we probably could have used a little more time to get to know the characters before it all explodes. Still, the filmmakers have done a remarkable job working under obvious time and budget constraints. There are moments in this film that could break your heart.

This movie is a very intense and emotional film. Omar Epps is great in this movie. It is based on a true story.

If you want your nerves wrenched and nails bitten to shreads, then you must prepare yourself to view this chilling HBO true story of nine West Ghanan stowaways bound for "The Promised Land" aboard a Russian Carco Ship in 1992.The very existence of these nine men posed such a threat to the future of the ship's future,the captain and the crew,that any measures had to be taken in order to squelch the men from being seen.Featuring a well-recognized cast including Omar Epps,Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joss Ackland,HBO showcases why, once again, they are the premiere organization to bring first-rate entertainment to the screen.THE ACTION AND TENSION NEVER LETS UP.