Crimson Tide is a 1995 submarine film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by Michael Schiffer and Richard P. Henrick. It takes place during a period of political turmoil in the Russian Federation, in which ultranationalists threaten to launch nuclear missiles at the United States and Japan. It focuses on a clash of wills between the seasoned commanding officer (played by Gene Hackman) and the executive officer (played by Denzel Washington) of a nuclear missile submarine, arising from conflicting interpretations of an order to launch their missiles.

The film was scored by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the main theme, which makes heavy use of synthesizers in place of traditional orchestral instruments.

Plot[link]

The film takes place during a period of instability in post-Soviet Russia. Units of the Russian military loyal to Radchenko, an ultranationalist, have taken control of a nuclear missile installation and are threatening nuclear war if either the American or the Russian government attempts to confront him.

The United States nuclear strategic missile submarine USS Alabama is assigned a patrol mission, to be available to launch its missiles in a preemptive strike if Radchenko attempts to fuel the missiles his men have captured. Captain Frank Ramsey (Hackman) is the commanding officer of the sub, and one of the few commanders left in the Navy with any combat experience. He chooses as his new executive officer (XO) Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Washington), who has an extensive education in military history and tactics, but no combat experience.

During their initial days at sea, tensions between Ramsey and Hunter become apparent due to a clash of personalities: Hunter's more analytical, cautious approach towards his mission and the men, as opposed to Ramsey's more impulsive and intuitive approach. The Alabama eventually receives an Emergency Action Message from the National Command Authority, ordering the launch of its missiles on the Russian nuclear installation, based on satellite information that the Russians' missiles are being fueled. Before the Alabama can launch, a second message arrives but is cut off by the attack of a Russian submarine friendly to Radchenko. The radio is damaged in the attack and is unable to decode the second message. With the last confirmed order being to launch, Captain Ramsey decides to proceed with the launch. Hunter refuses to concur as is procedurally required to launch, because he believes the partial second message to be a retraction. Hunter argues that the Alabama is not the only American submarine in the area, and if the order was not retracted, other submarines will launch their missiles. Ramsey argues that attack submarines may have destroyed any other American submarines and that they can't rely on someone else to carry out the order for them.

When Hunter refuses to consent to the missile launch, Ramsey tries to relieve him of duty and replace him with a different officer. Instead, Hunter orders the arrest of Ramsey for attempting to circumvent nuclear launch protocol. These acts split the crew into two groups; those in support of Hunter and those in support of Ramsey. A mutiny ensues and command of the Alabama changes hands several times, with Ramsey retaking the bridge and Hunter then getting support from the Weapons Officer in the missile control room, further delaying the launch. Other crew members try to repair the radio while the battle for command continues. Eventually, Ramsey gains control of the entire ship, but with the radio team reporting they are near success, agrees to a compromise; they will wait until the final deadline of the order to launch their missiles to see if the radio can be repaired.

After several tense minutes, communications are restored before the deadline and the officers finally see the full message from the second transmission. It is a retraction ordering that the missile launch be aborted, confirming Hunter's presumption. Radchenko's rebellion was swiftly quelled after Russian loyalists attacked his compound, forcing his men to surrender. After returning to base, Ramsey and Hunter are put before a Naval tribunal to answer for their actions. The tribunal concludes that both men were simultaneously right and wrong, so Hunter's mutiny was lawfully justified. Unofficially, the tribunal chastises both men for failing to resolve the issues between them, thus opening a can of worms concerning nuclear launch protocol. Thanks to Ramsey's personal recommendation, the tribunal agrees to grant Hunter his own command while Ramsey opts for early retirement. Both men then reconcile their differences and part ways.

The film ends with a printed statement:

"As of January 1996, primary authority and ability to fire nuclear missiles will no longer rest with U.S. submarine commanders... Principal control will reside with the President of the United States."

Cast[link]

• Gene Hackman - Captain Frank Ramsey, Commanding Officer
• Denzel Washington - Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter, Executive Officer
• George Dzundza - COB (Chief of the Boat)
• James Gandolfini - Lieutenant Bobby Dougherty, Supply Officer
• Matt Craven - Lieutenant Roy Zimmer, Communications Officer
• Viggo Mortensen - Lieutenant Peter "Weps" Ince, Weapons Officer
• Rocky Carroll - Lieutenant Darik Westergard, Operations Officer
• Danny Nucci - Petty Officer Danny Rivetti, SONAR Supervisor
• Rick Schroder - Lieutenant Paul Hellerman, DCA

Production[link]

The score for Crimson Tide was composed by Hans Zimmer, and employs a blend of orchestra, choir and synthesizer sounds. It includes additional music by Nick Glennie-Smith and the music was conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams. Within the score is the well known Naval Services Hymn, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save". The score won a Grammy Award in 1996, and has been described by Zimmer as one of his personal favorites.^[2] The theme was later covered by the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, on their From Wishes to Eternity live DVD.

	Hans Zimmer - "Roll Tide" noicon listen to a clip from the score of the 1995 film Crimson Tide.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The film has uncredited additional writing by Quentin Tarantino, much of it being the pop-culture reference-laden dialogue.^[3][4][5]

The U.S. Navy objected to many of the elements in the script — particularly the aspect of mutiny on board a U.S. naval vessel — and as such, the film was produced without the assistance of the U.S. Navy.^[6] The French Navy (Marine Nationale) assisted the team for production with the French aircraft carrier Foch and one SNLE.

Reception[link]

Box office[link]

Crimson Tide earned $18.6 million in the United States on its opening weekend, which ranked #1 for all films released that week. Overall, it earned $91 million in the U.S. and an additional $66 million internationally, for a total of $157.3 million.^[7]

Critical reception[link]

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of 46 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.5 out of 10.^[8] In addition, 91% of Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics" gave the film a positive rating, with an average score of 8 out of 10.^[8] While critics agreed that it was a "boy's movie"^[9] all the way, many thought that it excited the intellect as well as the adrenaline glands. A number of critics cited Hackman and Washington's performances, and enjoyed the film's snappy, pop culture inflected dialogue.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "This is the rare kind of war movie that not only thrills people while they're watching it, but invites them to leave the theater actually discussing the issues,"^[10] and Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "Crimson Tide has everything you could want from an action thriller and a few other things you usually can't hope to expect."^[11]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that, "what makes Crimson Tide a riveting pop drama is the way the conflict comes to the fore in the battle between two men. ... The end of the world may be around the corner, but what holds us is the sight of two superlatively fierce actors working at the top of their game."^[12]

In contrast, Janet Maslin of The New York Times criticized the film's "blowhardiness" and superficial treatment of apocalyptic fears. She noted that there is "... something awfully satisfying about the throbbing missiles and cathartic explosions that constitute this film's main excitement," but felt that "... nothing else here delivers a comparable thrill."^[13]

Awards[link]

Crimson Tide was nominated for three Academy Awards, for Editing, Sound (Kevin O'Connell, Rick Kline, Gregory H. Watkins and William B. Kaplan) and Sound Editing.^[7][14]

See also[link]

• Vasili Arkhipov, a Soviet naval officer who during the Cuban Missile Crisis disagreed with his submarine captain and political officer and prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo from a Soviet submarine.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Crimson Tide

• Crimson Tide at the Internet Movie Database
• Crimson Tide at Rotten Tomatoes
• Crimson Tide at Box Office Mojo

Crimson Tide may refer to:

• Crimson tide, a type of algae also known as Karenia brevis
• Alabama Crimson Tide, the sports teams of the University of Alabama
• Crimson Tide (film), a 1995 American thriller
• Crimson Tide, a cocktail that consists of vodka and pomegranate juice
• Crimson Tide, a 1995 book by Richard P. Henrick
• The Crimson Tide, a 1992 gamebook by Paul Mason in the Fighting Fantasy series

See also[link]

• Crimson (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington in 2000
Born	Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (1954-12-28) December 28, 1954 (age 57) Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter, director, producer
Years active	1974–present
Spouse	Pauletta Washington (1983–present)

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr. Philip Chandler for six years. He has received much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B. Tolson, Frank Lucas and Herman Boone.

Washington has received two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe awards, and a Tony Award.^[1] He is notable for winning the Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1989; and the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in the film Training Day.^[2]

Early life[link]

Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, near New York City, New York on December 28, 1954. His mother, Lennis "Lynne", was a beauty parlor-owner and operator born in Georgia and partly raised in Harlem. His father, Reverend Denzel Hayes Washington, Sr., a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, served as an ordained Pentecostal minister, and also worked for the Water Department and a local department store, S. Klein.^[3][4][5]

Washington attended grammar school at Pennington-Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon until 1968. When he was 14, his parents' marriage fell apart and his mother sent him to a private preparatory school, Oakland Military Academy, in New Windsor, New York. "That decision changed my life," Washington later said, "because I wouldn’t have survived in the direction I was going. The guys I was hanging out with at the time, my running buddies, have now done maybe 40 years combined in the penitentiary. They were nice guys, but the streets got them."^[6] After Oakland, Washington next attended Mainland High School, a public high school in Daytona Beach, Florida, from 1970–71.^[3] Washington was interested in attending Texas Tech University: "I grew up in the Boys Club in Mount Vernon, and we were the Red Raiders. So when I was in high school, I wanted to go to Texas Tech in Lubbock just because they were called the Red Raiders and their uniforms looked like ours."^[7] Washington earned a B.A. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977.^[8] At Fordham he played collegiate basketball as a freshman guard^[9] under coach P. J. Carlesimo.^[10] After a period of indecision on which major to study and dropping out of school for a semester, Washington worked as a counselor at an overnight summer camp, Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut. He participated in a staff talent show for the campers and a colleague suggested he try acting.^[11]

Returning to Fordham that fall with a renewed purpose and focus, he enrolled at the Lincoln Center campus to study acting and was given the title roles in both Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones and Shakespeare's Othello. Upon graduation he attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, where he stayed for one year before returning to New York to begin a professional acting career.^[12]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

Washington at the 62nd Academy Awards, at which he won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Washington spent the summer of 1976 in St. Mary's City, Maryland in summer stock theater performing Wings of the Morning, the Maryland State play. He also filmed a series of commercials in the Fruit of the Loom ensemble, as Grapes. Shortly after graduating from Fordham, Washington made his professional acting debut in the 1977 made-for-television film Wilma with his first Hollywood appearance in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. Washington shared a 1982 Distinguished Ensemble Performance Obie Award for playing Private First Class Melvin Peterson in the Off-Broadway Negro Ensemble Company production A Soldier's Play which premiered November 20, 1981.^[13]

A major career break came when he starred as Dr. Phillip Chandler in the television hospital drama St. Elsewhere which ran from 1982 to 1988 on NBC. He was one of only a few African American actors to appear on the series for its entire six-year run. Washington also appeared in several television, film and stage roles such as the films A Soldier's Story (1984), Hard Lessons (1986) and Power (1986). In 1987 Washington starred as South African anti-apartheid political activist Steven Biko in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1989 Washington won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a defiant self-possessed ex-slave soldier in the film Glory. Also that year he appeared in the film The Mighty Quinn, and as the conflicted and disillusioned Reuben James, a British soldier who, despite a distinguished military career, returns to a civilian life where racism and inner city life leads to vigilantism and violence in For Queen and Country.

1990s[link]

1991, Washington starred as Bleek Gilliam in the Spike Lee film Mo' Better Blues. In 1992, he starred as Demetrius Williams in the romantic drama Mississippi Masala. Washington was reunited with Lee to play one of his most critically acclaimed roles as the title character of 1992's Malcolm X. His performance as the black nationalist leader earned him another nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The next year he played the lawyer of a gay man with AIDS in the 1993 film Philadelphia. During the early and mid 1990s, Washington starred in several successful thrillers, including The Pelican Brief and Crimson Tide, as well as in comedy Much Ado About Nothing and alongside Whitney Houston in the romantic drama The Preacher's Wife.^{[citation needed]}

In 1998, Washington starred in Spike Lee's film, He Got Game. Washington played a father serving a six year prison term who is propositioned by the warden to a temporary parole on the terms that he must convince his top-ranked high-school basketball player son (Ray Allen), into signing with the governor's alma mater, Big State. The film also marked the third time that Spike Lee and Washington worked on a film together.^[14]

In 1999, Washington starred in The Hurricane a film about boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he had spent almost 20 years in prison. A former reporter who was angry at seeing the film portray Carter as innocent despite the overturned conviction began a campaign to pressure Academy Award voters not to award the film Oscars.^[15] Washington did receive a Golden Globe Award in 2000 and a Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for the role.

He also presented the Arthur Ashe ESPY Award to Loretta Claiborne for her courage and appeared as himself in the end of The Loretta Claiborne Story film.^{[citation needed]}

2000s[link]

In 2000, Washington appeared in the Disney film Remember the Titans which grossed over $100 million at the United States box office.^[16]

When Washington won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Movie in 2000, as he noted: "No African-American has won best actor in the Golden Globes since Sidney Poitier, until I did".^[17] That made him the first Black actor to win the award in 36 years.^[18]

He won an Academy Award for Best Actor in his next film, the 2001 cop thriller Training Day as Detective Alonzo Harris, a rogue Los Angeles cop with questionable law-enforcement tactics. Washington was the second African-American performer to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, the first being Sidney Poitier who happened to receive an Honorary Academy Award the same night that Washington won. Washington holds the record (five so far) for most Oscar nominations by an actor of African descent, along with Morgan Freeman since 2009.

After appearing in 2002's box office success, the health care-themed John Q., Washington directed his first film, a well-reviewed drama called Antwone Fisher, in which he also co-starred.

Between 2003 and 2004, Washington appeared in a series of thrillers that performed generally well at the box office, including Out of Time, Man on Fire, and The Manchurian Candidate.^[19] In 2006, he starred in Inside Man, a Spike Lee-directed bank heist thriller co-starring Jodie Foster and Clive Owen, and Déjà Vu released in November 2006.

In 2006, Denzel worked alongside multi-talented Irish off-rock band The Script on their new project combining music and Hollywood. The hybrid of genres was critically acclaimed but didn't receive much mainstream attention due to a legal conflicts between The Script's record label and Denzel's studio commitments.

In 2007, he co-starred with Russell Crowe, for the second time after Virtuosity in 1995, in American Gangster. Washington directed and starred in the drama The Great Debaters with Forest Whitaker. Washington next appeared in the 2009 film The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, a remake of the 1974 thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, directed by Tony Scott as New York City subway security chief Walter Garber opposite John Travolta.^[20]

Return to theater[link]

Washington after a performance of Julius Caesar in May 2005

Washington was last seen onstage in the summer of 1990 in the title role of the Public Theater's production of Shakespeare's Richard III and in 2005, after a 15-year hiatus, he appeared onstage again in another Shakespeare play as Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar on Broadway. The production's limited run was a consistent sell-out averaging over 100% attendance capacity nightly despite receiving mixed reviews.^[21]

2010s[link]

In February 2009, Washington began filming The Book of Eli, a post-Apocalyptic drama set in the near future which was released in January 2010. Also the same year, he starred as a veteran railroad engineer in the action film Unstoppable, about an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying a dangerous cargo. The film was directed by Tony Scott, and was the fifth collaboration between the two, after previous films Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009).

On June 13, 2010, Washington won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his role in the play Fences.^[22][23] Washington co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in the 2012 film Safe House, and will star in The Matarese Circle.

Personal life[link]

On June 25, 1983, Washington married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first screen work, the television film Wilma. The couple have four children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), who signed a football contract with the St. Louis Rams in May 2006 and is currently playing with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (John David also played college football at Morehouse);^[24] Katia (b. November 27, 1987), who graduated from Yale University with a Bachelors of Arts in 2010; and twins Olivia and Malcolm (b. April 10, 1991) (Malcolm attends the University of Pennsylvania). In 1995, the couple renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating.^[25]

Washington is a devout Christian,^[26] and has considered becoming a preacher. He stated in 1999, "A part of me still says, ‘Maybe, Denzel, you’re supposed to preach. Maybe you’re still compromising.’ I’ve had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I’ve been given seriously, and I want to use it for good.”^[27] In 1995 he donated 2.5 million dollars to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles.^[28]

Washington has served as the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1993.^[29] As such, he has been featured in several public service announcements and awareness campaigns for the organization.^[30] In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors that the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008.^[31]

On May 18, 1991, Washington was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Fordham University, for having "impressively succeeded in exploring the edge of his multifaceted talent".^[32] In 2011 he donated $2 million to Fordham for an endowed chair of the theatre department, as well as $250,000 for a theatre-specific scholarship to Fordham. He also was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities from Morehouse College on May 20, 2007.^[33]

In 2008, Washington visited Israel with a delegation of African American artists in honor of the Jewish state's 60th birthday.^[34]

Washington is a fan of the New York Yankees. He is good friends with former manager Joe Torre. He is also good friends with comedians Jerry Seinfeld and George Wallace.

Filmography[link]