Customer Reviews

The Hunley [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being a native of South Carolina, I was deeply touched by this film largely about a chapter in S.C.'s history during the Civil War. It was an accurate depiction of the facts as they related to the Union blockades, and the subsequent effects that have been diligently recorded by historians, of those blockades. The Hunley was indeed a remarkable fete of engineering for the time, and I am proud of fact that it was moored in my native state. Thank you for making a film that did not make Southerners out to be a bunch of dirty, illiterate losers, like most films have in the past. I appreciate the lack of stereotyping involved in the telling of this historical drama. As always, Donald Sutherland did a magnificent job of portraying Gen.Beauregard. Armand Assante did an adequate job as Lt.Dixon; however his southern accent tended to drift into something else. Perhaps his Odyseus accent. This is a film, however, that is well worth any good southerner's time to watch; and even if you're not southern, but a Civil War history buff, you will appreciate the historical relevance of this remarkable story.

I purchased and watched "The Hunley" to increase my knowledge of this Confederate submarine and her brave crew. I have been following the actual excavation of the Hunley since it was recovered from the silt of Charleston Bay, and the remains of its crew, including Lt. George E Dixon, have now been found. Right where Dixon's pocket used to be, they found the gold coin given to him by his sweetheart, the coin that stopped a bullet and saved his life at Shiloh, a real event that is presented in the film.

The movie of the Hunley necessarily had to add dramatic and fictional elements, and for the most part, they were enjoyable. The crew includes an angry Irishman who likes to fight, an Englishman who doesn't, and a groom who misses his wife. As comic relief perhaps, a young Confederate soldier begs to join the crew and tries to impress Dixon and Beauregard by regularly jumping into the sea fully dressed and splashing about. He is finally accepted.

Why would a third crew attempt to man the Hunley when two previous crews drowned? The film answers that by showing the increasing desperation of the residents of Charleston as offshore Union battleships regularly bombard the blockaded city. The only hope of victory over the overwhelming opposing force is to strike an effective blow against the Yankee Navy, and the Hunley does it, sinking the USS Housatonic with a spear-mounted torpedo. The sub, however, never returned to port, ending the hope for victory. The film speculates as to what might have happened following the Hunley's first and last mission.

Armand Assante is a fine actor, and does a credible job portraying the determined George E Dixon. However, Lt. George E Dixon, was much younger (in his early 20s), was blonde and over six feet tall. Knowing that fact did not help me to appreciate Assante's portrayal, as I like authenticity.

At the end of the film I felt both sadness and admiration for the lost crew of the Hunley. Bravery and valor are not always rewarded with success or fame, but at last the crew has come home for burial. God bless them.

Historically accurate, for the most part.For once a Civil War movie that does not vilify the South. These were brave men, pioneers in naval warfare defending their homeland. Must see for Civil War Buffs,

The Hunley was the name of a human-powered experimental submersible developed and employed by the Confederacy during the American Civil War (or "War Between the States"). This movie does an excellent job of explaining the mechanics of the Hunley, but, more importantly, it delves into the minds and souls of men like those who may have actually manned her. As another reviewer aptly pointed out, this movie not only did that, but presented the southern sailors who manned the Hunley as brave men rather than as some kind of villains.

The cast is headed by Armand Assante, the captain of a crew that mans the Hunley, and Donald Sutherland who is the general in overall command of the project.

Be prepared for a look into the conflicted and tormented mind of Assante's character -- a consequence of the loss of his beloved wife. Assante works as a man driven, and, at that same time, as one who has nothing to lose. The supporting cast does a great job in moving character and story-line development along.

This is a far superior movie to another period made-for-TV movie, "Ironclads". "The Hunley" is better in its story development, drama, and acting. But, if you are a naval history buff, you should also give "Ironclads" a look.

As for "The Hunley"...5 stars, an excellent offering, especially for a made-for-TV movie.

Alan Holyoak

The performances given in this movie were some of the most moving I have witnessed. I felt as if I were there watching that crew train, fight one another, band together as a team and give everything they had to bring the CSS Hunley to life.

The historical accuracy of this movie is merely icing on the cake for me. Knowing it is accurate though also makes the ending that much more gut-wrenching.

I have been waiting for this movie to come out so I could see it again, I only wish it had been released on DVD.

Only two words can describe this movie -

INCREDIBLE. :>)

This is a made for TV dramatization of a true event in history, specifically the story of the Confederate efforts to develop a submersible boat during the civil war. The story opens in Charleston S.C. during the seize and naval blockade of that city by Federal forces. The Confederates were attempting to develop a submarine with a torpedo to be used as a weapon to break the blockade. This is the story of the successes and failures of that effort and follows the efforts of the crew in the development of the submarine (made from a converted boiler) and its ultimate deployment into battle.

The story is a fascinating piece of history; an event that clearly changed the course of naval warfare. Director John Gray did a good job in his portrayal of civil war Charleston during the seize, with citizens attempting to cope and go about the business of day to day living despite the daily bombardment. The scenes inside the boat were particularly well done, giving the viewer a good sense of the claustrophobic quarters in which they had to operate.

Unfortunately, the selection of Armand Assante for the lead character, Lt. Dixon was a mistake. Assante, the consummate tough guy, can be a powerful actor when placed in a suitable role for his skills like `Gotti'. But he does not have much range outside that type. In this film he was brittle in his portrayal, playing this role in typical tough guy fashion when the character required more subtlety and complexity. Also, his attempt at a southern accent was abysmal. No matter how he tried, he always sounded like a New York gangster.

Donald Sutherland was good as General Beauregard, but it was a minor role. The bright spot among the cast was Sebastian Roche who played Collins, the tempestuous Irishman. His cockiness and false bravado belied a vulnerable and frightened soul and he played it perfectly. His portrayal of panic during an oxygen deprivation drill was riveting.

I gave this film an 8/10, despite the miscasting of Assante. It was an entertaining drama with plenty of meat to keep most viewers interested and engaged.

Actual research on the now-raised Hunley and its crew suggests some of the information in this historical drama may be incorrect, but its spirit is not flawed. It shows well the diverse personalities that would come together in one of the landmark projects of Naval warfare in one of the great desperate attempts to turn the tide of the American Civil War toward southern Independence.

By 1864, the Federal blockade had choked the southern Nation dry of almost all imported goods that could not be carried over land afer arriving in Matamoros, Mexico. The development of a truly practical underwater "torpedo boat" that could break the Union blockade was of necessity--blockade runners could not provide sufficient staples let alone war materiel. It took an ingenious engineer H. L. Hunley and an intrepid group of men to follow a drowned crew to show that underwater stealth warfare on a ship-sinking scale was possible. Unfortunately, it again yielded deadly results for the crew.

Viewers of the film will see excellent performances, absent the gore of parallel production "Andersonville"--inspiring in a way that shows why combatants on opposite sides of many conflicts come together many years later in mutual respect and admiration. Small wonder that tens of thousands attended the final military funeral of the remains of the Hunley crew in 2004, in Charleston, South Carolina, or that a German writer would ask: "Where's the DVD?"

While this is a genre of film that does not appeal to everyone, it will appeal to those who wish to understand what the conflict was like on the home front (Charleston), the types of personalities involved (from an apparently non-military crewman to the ambitious Pierre Toutaint Gustave Beauregard, eager to redeem himself after being shuffled off to South Carolina in the wake of failure at Manassas). Armand Assante puts in a great performance as Lt. Dixon, a part he apparently was not cast for but sought.

All in all, this is much more than a costume drama, and if the viewer will also read the historically accurate accounts of what was found in the actual raised H.L. Hunley craft (e.g. by Mark Ragan), it is an even more worthwhile journey into the past.

This is just a fantastic movie. It's about the men who manned the first sub to sink an enemy vessel. Many people don't realize the origins of submarine warfare date back to the Civil War. Although most people that watch this movie will be history buffs, I think many more people would enjoy this movie solely on the strength of its wonderful characters and interesting story. Of all the characters, the Irishman really stood out, along with the eager Private who's determined to be a crew member. Those two will either have you on the verge of laughing or crying. The touches of humor are just in the right places. The best scenes are the ones in the sub, as well as those that feature the interaction between crew members. It's such an entertaining movie and very well done. Highly recommended

Turner Network Television once again brings us a true story of the Civil War, and like the previous efforts Gettysburg and Andersonville, this movie is a winner. When the subject of Civil War naval exploits is examined the battle between the Ironclads Merrimack and Monitor is the first thing that comes to mind, this film brings us another no less revolutionary story. Truth is indeed stranger (and more entertaining) than fiction, this is the story of the Confederate effort to build and deploy a submersible weapon of war to break the Union blockade of the South Carolina coast. The original name of this vessel was The David (as in David and Goliath) but after the training death of a young office named Hunley the sub was renamed. The opening scene of the training accident will put the hook in you, this is not a boring film. The special effects are very good, the studio built what looks to be a realistic copy of the Hunley, if you are claustrophobic this film will disturb you, even if you are not claustrophobic it will make you squimish. The technical description of the subs operating procedures (and it's torpedo) by Lt. Dixon are painfully easy to understand, the explaination of Union Naval tactics are very clear as well. There is some computer animation used in the special effects but most of what you see has a very realistic flavor to it, the Union shelling of Ft. Sumter and Charleston are good examples of that. Donald Sutherland portraying Gen. Beauregard has a sinister air about him until he explains his wife's death in childbirth "now there is a test for you" he says. Armand Assante does a fine job, you may notice some folks complaining about the accent, don't worry about it, it does not detract from the film, this may be his best work to date. I would have given 5 stars except for the "Hollywoodization" of the scene about the final plunge. Good combat scenes, drunken fist fighting, no sex, this would be about a PG-13 film I'd say. Seeing southern soldiers being cast as the "good guys" will remind sub movie affectionados of Das Boot. In this era of PC where Confederate battle flags are removed, Confederate monuments are vandalized and Southern heritage is viewed as akin to being a skinhead it is refreshing that TNT brought us this truly facinating and entertaining story. I would have bought it on DVD but it was only available on VHS cassette, which is of fine quality. Top notch production quality. Take it from me, I like historically accurate war films, this is one of them.

Definitely a great Civil War movie and one of my personal favorites, the Hunley, brings to the screen the story of a confederate submarine, the CSS Hunley, and the desperate attempts made by the South to break the Federal blockade that threatened the CSA's very existence. The movie portrays Lieutenant Dixon (played superbly by Armand Assante) in great detail, both as a man and as an officer, and his efforts to succeed in his project of training the crew whose job will be to man the vessel. The movie successfully provides an important insight into one of the many figures of this military conflict. The Hunley is a movie about duty, honor, bravery, fear, and heroes who fought and died in the name of Freedom and above all, love- love of country. A great movie indeed!