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Abyss
Review of James Cameron's film
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| The story is set before the break up of the USSR, when the cold war was still dominant.
An American nuclear submarine has been sunk and a Russian submarine was spoted nearby at
the time of the collision. Consequently, the world is entering a new crisis, similar to
the infamous Cuban crisis as the US government accuses the Russian and demand they take
back all their ships away from US territory. Denying being involved in the accident, the
Russian refuse to obey and as tensions increase, World War III seems inevitable. Under
the surface of the ocean, however, tensions also escalate between a crew of oil workers
and the SEALS who demanded their assistance in their mission to save the survivors
of the wreck. Cut off from the surface by a hurricane and victims of a series of serious incidents and
miscommunication, mistrust and paranoia settle between the crew and the soldiers. As if this
was not enough, a member of the crew insistently claims she has encountered an alien form
of intelligent life while they were on the rescue mission. |
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| This film focuses on the psychological tensions people are subjected to when they are
forced to live together in a confined place in times of danger. The struggles the
characters are confronted to have more to do with their inner selves than any exterior
illusory threat, whether alien or russian. Maybe thus the director suggests that
we create our own ennemies and that their supposed animosity may only be a
projection of our own inner fears, of our own disturbed imagination. The film starts
with a quote from Nietzsche, which is a key to understand the philosophical undertone of
the story. Another theme exploited
is the one of the inability of humans not to resolve to violence and their innate
tendencies towards conflicts, whether on a global scale (wars, domination etc.) or on a
personal scale (arguments, divorce etc.). The final word of the film is that humans
should "grow up a bit" and only love can save them from their destructive nature. |
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| The photography is superb, with a predominant use of blue lightning. The acting is
impeccable. The effects are absolutely perfect and the whole adventure seems so
real that the viewers end up feeling like they are stuck underwater too. The music is
effective and dramatic which adds to the tense atmosphere which infuses the film. There
is perhaps one scene (when the crew give first aids to Lindsey) which is quite
melodramatic and silly in the way it is filmed and ends. However, overall, it is
undeniable that the film is excellent. |
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