When someone talks about 'The Abyss', you would have heard it's a classic. If you've ever seen it, you know it is indeed a classic. So when you have the Special Edition that lasts 163 minutes its not that daunting a task to soak it all in and let yourself be immersed. (yes, yes, intentional water based metaphors)
I have only seen it once before, never the special edition, and I was excited to get to the first critically acclaimed great on this journey. With fifteen Oscar nominations and eight wins it is hard to say it is not critically loved. Would it be the same as I remembered? With adult eyes and thirty years of CGI advances, would it stand the test of time?
Simply, yes it has. Of course there are moments when you realise this is an old film, but on the whole the filming techniques used have stood the test of time and I suspect many scenes would look similar if filmed today. Let's face it James Cameron is a genius, he has continually written, directed and filmed classic, timeless films that have always pushed the boundaries of story telling and special effects. It's funny to think that a defining factor that shows the era of a movie is the insults used within the script, I can't remember the last time I heard anyone refer to someone as a 'weiner'.
"Virgil, you weiner" - Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)
The introduction to the characters and backstory is sublimely written and directed. I'm sure some would say its slow but this is the difference between a classic film and one that tries to wow you into loving it. A classic such as this creeps up on you, lures you in and before you know it you are hooked into such a deeply creative and imaginative story. At no point during the 163 minutes did I ever look at my watch, ever check how much time there was remaining, I was captivated by such a simple story that is woven so creatively. You don't even realise how simple it is, there are so many layers woven into it they mask the simplicity.
The opening segment of the film shows this perfectly. It would appear that 9 years later Michael Bay seems to have used a similar character chemistry and was struck by how much the opening to Armageddon is the poor mans wow factor of this film, using effects and comedy to introduce the characters rather than the subtlety and captivation shown by The Abyss.
Has Ed Harris always been thinning on top?
Ed Harris is amazing, I struggle to think of a film where he has put in a bad performance and I also can't think of a film where he had a full head of hair. As the unofficial leader of the crew, Virgil, he combines so many emotional layers to the role that you only get with him. Like many great actors he has such a unique style that really draws you in but he doesn't seem to have ever received the public praise that some of his peers have had. I am sure someone can correct me on that if I am wrong.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio starts off slow, I was getting myself ready to see a bog standard performance that comes with some of her roles but with a script like this I should have known better. She is so believable and engaging, I haven't seen many of her other films but this is her best performance by far.
Michael Biehn on the other hand is terrible. I can't believe it is due to Cameron's direction or the script. It can only be down to his acting style, which is as one dimensional and generic as Macaulay Culkin's. I know a few people who would disagree with me on this, after all he is in 3 classic films: Terminator, Aliens and Abyss. But come on, he essentially plays the same character in all three films and in each, his performance is one of overacting and flat delivery of lines. Biehn has been the weak link in all of the films I mention and this performance is no different, but clearly James Cameron saw something in him.
Back to The Abyss though,
Thirty minutes in and we reach what effectively is the perceived plot of the story, to investigate the destroyed US Submarine and recover any crew that may be alive. However you have the layer upon layer of story that begins to be developed, this is not just a rescue film, nor an alien film, nor is it just an environmental film or a political statement. It is all of these things woven together with what is clearly the beginning of Cameron's obsession with the deep blue sea and the uncharted depths, along with humankind's desire to extinguish itself. And why not, we still know more about space than we do about the depths of our own planet and we are all still trying to either start wars or ignore other global crisis. I am surprised there haven't more attempts to make a version of this story but then who would have the balls to try and compete with such a classic, a classic that set the mark for underwater movie making that has never really been surpassed.
The direction, cinematography and special effects must all be applauded. Watching this thirty years after its release you still have to take your hat off to the commitment and Kahunas it must of taken to film, the cast and crew must have spent hours, weeks, months in cold and wet conditions. I can think of nothing worse than wading through water, take after take, let alone scene after scene. Yes in places the CGI looks hammy but then so do the effects from films ten years ago. It's the detail put into the underwater scenes and clear commitment to make it look so realistic. There are other aspects where this attention to detail is shown, one such scene, with a defibrillator caused me to start my usual eye role. They would miss the realism and should be setting fire to clothes cause they aren't using direct skin contact. But to my surprise this point is made and they rip open clothes and correctly play out the scene, it is this level of detail that always captures my attention and captivates me with any movie.
One thing that did piss me off was one sponsorship aspect that made no sense. A deep sea underwater vessel that must rarely come to the surface has a 'Coke' soft drink syrup machine, the type you find in any high street fast food outlet. Why oh why would they have this? It simply made no sense,
This film truly is a classic, very deserving of all the award nominations and wins. This is a difficult one to write because it is such a captivating tale that has stood the test of time. If you like this genre of movie then this is one of the better ones. Strangely the final sentiment that we all need to love one another is still very relevant today, in fact it is disturbing how relevant it is in the current platform of world politics.
Farquaard's Rating - 4 star or 8/10
IMDB - 7.6/10 (152,864)
Metascore - 62 (14 Critic Reviews)
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