The Abyss Review
by Mark R. Leeper (leeper AT mtgzx DOT att DOT com)August 18th, 1989
THE ABYSS
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1989 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: A science fiction and adventure film
that just misses a +4 rating. Alistair-MacLean-type action
combines with 2001-type vision to make a whale of a film that blows BATMAN right out of the water. Rating: high +3. If
only it had more interesting science fiction ideas.
[Note: THE ABYSS is a fairly long film at 140 minutes. Enough happens that it would be impossible to say much about the film without revealing a surprise or two. I will try to keep my comments general enough to avoid marring the enjoyment, at least for some one who has seen other reviews-- still, I wouldn't want to read what follows before seeing the film.]
THE ABYSS has two kinds of scenes: exciting scenes where suspense is building and exciting scenes where there is slam-bang action. And they must have about equal screen time. As such, it may well out-Lucas the "Star Wars" films. In style most of the film resembles less fantasy films than films in the Alistair MacLean tradition. In fact, embedded in this long film is really a normal-length MacLeanesque adventure that would not even be science fiction. Not that MacLean adventures are not somewhat far-fetched themselves. And like a MacLean film THE ABYSS is not above throwing in the occasional far-fetched coincidence to keep the story going. But the pacing and adventure-plotting are reminiscent of a film such as THE GUNS OF NAVARONE or ICE STATION ZEBRA. The action is not even delayed for opening credits; the film starts under a single opening title and we cut directly to the action. The U. S. S. Montana, a nuclear submarine, has picked up something unusual on sonar: a very fast-moving craft. They see it accelerate to over 130 knots before the sub is physically grasped by something. They are freed, but not in time to avoid piling into the edge of the Cayman Trench. A team of civilian divers from a nearby oil driller is brought in by the Navy to try to rescue any survivors. The chief diver is Bud Brigman (played by Ed Harris), a strong-willed commander in the process of divorcing the designer of the drilling facility, Lindsey Brigman (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The antagonistic couple, a team of four Navy SEALS, and the divers go to the site of the downed sub. But there is something else there, an apparent intelligence--perhaps alien, perhaps indigenous--that is watching the mission with marked curiosity.
The script of THE ABYSS shows definite James Cameron touches. Cameron's films usually feature strong, intelligent, self-reliant women and never more so than in THE ABYSS with its character of Lindsey Brigman. The dialog is crisp, but also very humanizing. As usual, Cameron's heroes are common, blue-collar types.
One of the virtues of a good science fiction film can be to make technology comprehensible. THE ABYSS uses state-of-the-art technology--such as recently developed breathable fluid that will allow exploration of greater depths. It also required new technology to be developed simply to allow the film to be made. In this category are diving masks designed to let the camera see who is behind the mask, but which coincidentally also allow a much wider field of vision for the divers than previously available.
Like BATMAN, this film also had a large budget and was kept very much under wraps until its release. BATMAN turned out to be a film that was visually fascinating, but which short-changed the story elements. THE ABYSS is rumored to have a pricetag of $43 million and, unlike in BATMAN, there are no big-name stars to soak up large pieces of the budget--or rather there is one, but it is the Atlantic Ocean, and shooting underwater made the film much more complex to produce.
As with any major film that has been kept under wraps, THE ABYSS has generated a certain amount of rumor. One rumor on the positive side is that Hugo-winning science fiction author Orson Scott Card participated strongly in the scripting. He supposedly was on the set to ask the actors, "Ignoring the script, what would you do in this plot situation?" The next morning the revised script would have the character doing just what the actor wanted. And Card would add his own science fiction influence so that it is at least claimed that THE ABYSS ranks with THINGS TO COME and 2001 for the degree of participation of a science fiction author in determining plot. A second and more negative rumor is that the life form was much better explained in the pre-release (and in Card's novelization) but that the film was cut by 25 minutes, down to 140, to make it more marketable. In the cut the real logic of what is happening was considered to be the dispensable portion. (This is strongly rumored to be what happened to the film HIGHLANDER, also from Twentieth Century Fox.) Cameron denies that any logic was cut from the film and says instead that where Card's book varies, it is purely Card's invention.
But even as it stands, THE ABYSS is one of the best science fiction film ever made. This remains true in spite of a rather superficial treatment of the some of the science fiction elements. It is very much a 2001 with all the slowish parts replaced by a good fast-paced adventure film. It is entertaining, educational, and exciting, and has compelling (albeit manipulative at times) drama. All it lacks is a sufficiently engaging concept. Perhaps that was left on the cutting room floor, perhaps not. I would give it a high +3 on the -4 to +4 scale. It could not do much better than that.
Mark R. Leeper
att!mtgzx!leeper
[email protected]
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
