Quentin Tarantino has reviewed several films without being named in the credits. But with the submarine thriller Crimson Tide, it earned him criticism.
The submarine thriller Crimson Tide (1995) is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Quentin Tarantino. The psychological duel between Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington impresses with tension in the tightest of spaces, but is a sedate affair even by the standards of director Tony Scott (True Romance). Yet Tarantino has also put his stamp on this film, which you can currently watch with a subscription to Disney+ *. With consequences.
The submarine thriller on Disney+ is about a duel in a confined space
Crimson Tide is set in a post-Soviet world in which, similar to James Bond 007 – GoldenEye, the former giant empire has become a haven of instability. In this version, fictional Russian rebels have taken over missile positions in Kamchatka. The United States sends the nuclear submarine USS Alabama to respond to the nuclear threat. On board are Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and his new first officer Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington). While Ramsey proves to be a hardliner ready to fight, Hunter wants to avoid war at all costs.
Officially, and according to the credits, the script was written by Michael Schiffer (Project: Peacemaker), but Quentin Tarantino was hired to give the dialogue some zing. This is immediately recognisable, for example in the so-called Silver Surfer speech. In it, a subordinate justifies an argument to Washington’s character – which escalated through a comic discussion. Pop culture references of this kind rarely find a place in thrillers set on nuclear-powered war machines, but Tony Scott and Tarantino had already successfully collaborated on True Romance.
Why Tarantino and Denzel Washington fell out over Crimson Tide
Tarantino’s collaboration with lead actor Denzel Washington was less successful. Washington was confronted with the revised dialogue one day and was bothered by the use of racial slurs. He then confronted Tarantino and did so in front of everyone. According to a contemporary report by the film magazine Premiere, Tarantino wanted to clear this up in a one-on-one conversation, but Washington replied, “No, […] we’re discussing this now.” Tarantino was allegedly so embarrassed by this that he did not forgive Washington.
