Customer Reviews

Run Silent Run Deep [VHS]

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A suspensful, action packed drama, this film is one of my all time favorites. Performances by both Lancaster and Gable are right on the mark, they (especially Gable) had me believing they were actual naval officers. The scene where Lancaster relieves Gable of command is powerful, here we see two great actors at the peak of their skills. Gable's contempt towards Lancaster for the act is truly inspired (He virtually spits out his disgust here: "A fleet ship of the US Navy, with her fighting power intact, and your first command is to order a retreat", every time I watch this scene it gets better and better!). Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman recreate this scene in "Crimson Tide", but it doesn't match the intensity created by Lancaster and Gable in the scene from RSRD. One neat byproduct of this movie is that after watching it, you will have a pretty detailed understanding of what a WWII Balao class sub looks like, how the chain of command works, and what happens on a typical patrol - you will be educated and entertained at the same time, what a bargain! Nice supporting role by Don Rickles. A great, classic movie for sure, you won't be disappointed! END

With a straight-ahead, no-nonsense approach by Robert Wise, strong performances by Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, and a satisfying number of battle sequences, RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP is a very good, if not great, war movie.
Lancaster plays the newly appointed captain of the submarine, Gable plays a desk bound officer who'd had his ship shot out from under him a year earlier and wrangles a command on Lancaster's sub.
Any movie starring Lancaster and Gable (which gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of the United States Navy) is going to take a potentially explosive chain-of-command conflict less seriously than will its audience. Something has to keep us glued to our seats between the "Dive! Dive!" and "Fire torpedo two" scenes. Where would we be without a grumbling crew - Is the new captain a hero? What's up with all these diving drills? - and a covey of junior officers muttering mutiny?
Without its plot contrivances there'd be a whole lot of placid cooperation where a movie's supposed to be. Besides, Lancaster needs a chance to prove (or disprove) that loyalty and devotion to duty beats a stronger tattoo in a seaman's heart than does the rank call of personal ambition (the assistance of the US Navy in leading us to this insight is gratefully acknowledged.)
Considering this movie's reputation, and the resume of its major contributions, I was a little surprised that the plot was so predictable and the ending so abrupt and seemingly tacked on. The scale-models subs and ships seen in battle scenes are acceptable, quite good for the time, actually, even though they probably won't convince many modern viewers.
Although flawed and dated, RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP remains a very good war movie, and is quite enjoyable.

Commander Richardson (Clark Gable) survived his last assignment as a Captain on a submarine, which was sunk in the Pacific Ocean. A year later Commander Richardson works at a desk, in Pearl Harbor, but this is not what he is meant to do as he wants to be a Submarine Captain again. He sends in a request to return to Area 7, where he once was sunk, as the area has been deemed too cursed since four other subs have been sunk there throughout the last twelve months. Commander Richardson is assigned to a new submarine, however, it was supposed to be Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe's (Burt Lancaster) assignment as he has been on the sub for two years. Despite Lieutenant Bledsoe's dislike of the navy's decision he continues to work hard for Commander Richardson, who is running diving exercises repeatedly without telling anyone why. This causes apprehension among the men on the sub as they are to enter the most feared waters of the Pacific Ocean. Run Silent, Run Deep is an interesting war film that depicts the daily frictions between Captains and the rest of the men onboard subs during the World War II. Wise creates an authentic atmosphere onboard the submarine, despite some underwater shots that obviously were shot in a swimming pool. In the end, Run Silent, Run Deep offers a suspenseful and intriguing cinematic experience.

Yes this really is a true story. I know because my Father : Robert V. Phillips CQM (COB) was on this patrol. It really did happen. Except for the personal drama between officers. The real Commander Was Commander McGregor. He was one of the top Sumbarine Commanders in the Navy. The ship that was sunk was the Unryn. She was a brand new Japanese aircraft carrier on her way to Midway, fully loaded. The U.S. Submarine Redfish. The only Submarine to sink a aircraft carrier by herself through WW2. The Redfish received a Presidential citation for her bravery. And Commander Mc Gregor received the Silver Star. What make this movie really authentic was the ORIGINAL USS Redfish was also used in the MOVIE. No Hollywood models. This is true USS Redfish ! For More Go to USS REDFISH web site. Read Story of ship and patrols. See Citation ! See Movie !!

Run Silent, Run Deep is an excellent WWII submarine adventure with an excellent cast. It tells the story of a submarine who has received a new captain in place of one of their own officers. The new captain, Captain PJ Richardson, wants revenge on the Japanese destroyer who sunk his previous sub. The man he took the position away from, First Officer Bledsoe, instantly takes a dislike to him which causes obvious problems. The movie follows the efforts of the two men to counter each other as one seeks revenge and the other tries to save the lives of the crew.

Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster are both excellent as the battling officers aboard the sub. The movie boasts an excellent supporting cast that includes Jack Warden, Brad Dexter, Nick Cravat, and Don Rickles, all who do very good jobs with their roles. However, Gable, in a later role, and Lancaster steal many of the scenes they are in together. The DVD is well worth it with a booklet included and also widescreen and full screen options for viewing. This is a great movie for fans of WWII action flicks! It is often obvious how this movie influenced later submarine movies in the genre. Go and check out this movie!

One of the best submarine movies ever made with superb performances by Gable and Lancaster, who star as commander and executive officer, respectively. Their characters developed well against each other in the movie, which contained plenty of realistic action.

Captain Richardson (Gable), wanting to redeem himself for losing his submarine in the Bungo Straits off Japan the previous year, is successful in getting out from behind the desk and back in command of a sub, whose crew has already accepted Lancaster as their new skipper, with the previous captain being transferred to another station. However, Richardson is given command of the submarine, and the tension mounts as the power struggle continues, amidst constant diving drills and grumbling among the crew, who fear that they will be labeled "the best drill cowards in the Navy."

Richardson is out to prove his theory that he can take out an Akakaze destroyer with a bow shot. This type of destroyer had sunk his sub the previous year, but it is also discovered that Japanese submarines are also lurking in the area and have picked off several unsuspecting American subs.

A classic war movie, and a classic submarine movie. The only one that I would consider better is "The Boat."

Never mind the new U-Boat movie about Americans manning a German U-boat; "Run Silent, Run Deep" is the WWII sub movie to see! I recall first seeing it in its initial release on a trip to New York City in the late 1950s when I was 11 or 12. Seeing this then brand-new release on a super-sized screen with all the advantages of a new sound system made a lasting impression on me. This is surely a classic, for like other war movies like "Bridge Over The River Kwai" or "All Quiet On The Western Front", it touches aspects of the human experience of war in such a responsive and responsible way that it neither glamorizes nor simplifies the experience. It provides no silly sub-plots of dames, booze, or any else but the basically authentic and accurate tale of men at war in the claustrophobic confines of an American attack submarine during World War Two.

Every element of this movie is excellent; the taut story line, the intelligent and thoughtful script, the superb acting by Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and a number of excellent supporting actors, and the action scenes are quite suspenseful, well-photographed and choreographed, and nothing extraneous is there to rob one of total immersion in what is happening on the screen. The circumstances these men have to fight in are difficult to understand, and given the limitations of submarine capability in that time frame, it could certainly be a harrowing and unnerving experience. Add the element of mortal combat with enemies both seen and unseen, and you have the elements of an unforgettable movie with gripping suspense and terrific action. I heartily recommend this movie!

This is the quintessential submarine movie, and later sub movies borrowed liberally from it, and it's certainly one of the great war movies of all time. It by far outclasses the other submarine movies like "Torpedo Alley", "Torpedo Run", and "The Enemy Below" (although with Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchum the latter is actually pretty good). And although still not in "Run Silent, Run Deep's" league, the more recent "Das Boot" is excellent too.

Gable and Lancaster are utterly believable as captain and commander and the supporting efforts from Jack Ward and Don Rickles also deserve mention. Don looks like he's only 25 here (although he's probably more like 30) and he still has no hair! (That's okay, Don, we still luv ya.) The movie builds the tension up to an almost unbearable climax as Gable proceeds to train his crew to perform the risky bow shot maneuver to take out the Akekazi destroyer, despite the scepticism of both Lancaster and the crew. The tension is made all the more palpable when their first attempt at destroying the Akakazi fails and the Akekazi drops depth charge after depth charge on Gable's ship. But Gable manages to just barely slip away. Then finally, in a suspenseful climactic scene, Gable successfully torpedoes the deadly sub-hunter with the infamous bow shot.

The movie benefits from the sure direction of Robert Wise (who only a few years later directed West Side Story) and Gable was only four movies away from his last screen appearence in "Run Silent, Run Deep."

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Big Bubba says go rent it and don't Bogart the popcorn.

Technically authentic down to jargon and tactics, all of the movie's shots are framed so that the real mechanical, working guts of the Gato Class sub can be seen in action. And none of the usual Hollywood bravado. The crewman sweat bullets, as they are driven against their will by their own Captain Ahab to seek revenge, to go where orders forbid them, to take on a target that should not be taken on. That target can move as fast as their torpedoes can run and can be hit only by drawing it into a dicey, down the throat shot to the bow. A well crafted, well paced, and tense film with great performances by Gable, Lancaster, and lots of well known character actors. Based on a novel by someone who served.

One of the most influential war films from the 50's, "Run Silent Run Deep" had a huge impact on projects as diverse as "Das Boot" to "Star Trek" (the episode "Balance of Terror")due to Robert Wise's ("West Side Story", "The Sand Pepples", "The Andromea Strain", "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", "The Haunting", "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "Somebody Up There Likes Me!" and numerous other classic motion pictures) taunt, claustrophobic direction and the intelligent script by John Gay ("The Court Martial of George Armstrong Custer", "Sometimes a Great Notion")gives actors Clark Cable and Burt Lancaster material to sink their teeth into. The visual effects although a bit dated still look solid enough to make the drama convincing and that's what visual effects are really all about.

The plot, like Melville's "Moby Dick", focuses on obsession; It's World War II and Commander Richardson (Gable) finally has a new command after time spent at a desk. His last command sunk by a Japanese destroyer returns to haunt him; when he and his crew (featuring a marvelous group of character actors led by jack Warden, Don Rickles and Brad Dexter)of run into the same destroyed he obsessively hunts it down and, in turn, is hunted putting his crew and latest command at risk. This puts him into direct conflict with his second-in-command Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster). To paraphrase Lee Marvin's character in the film "The Big Red One", in war it isn't murder it's killing. The tunnel vision effects everyone in a crisis but when a commander is obsessed with his own revenge, it destroys the men's morale and puts the crew in jeopardy.

A thoughtful, penetrating drama that doesn't have men debating the merits of their morality but integrating it into their actions, "Run Silent Run Deep" deserves to be a deluxe release on DVD (much like the recent reissue of "The Day the Earth Stood Still")but probably won't receive it. "Das Boot" (all three versions)is a great film looking at similar circumstances but "Run Silent Run Deep" has the edge because the film rarely leaves the confines of the boat once the drama truly starts. A submarine is a crew member's entire world. Any threat to it could destroy that pressurized hotdog and wipe out everything including their important mission. Brilliantly realized, this is a film that, sadly, doesn't have the audience it deserves today.