Black Sea [DVD]

I remember when Law was presented as the next Pretty Boy in Hollywood. Many dismissed him as little more than a Tom Cruise-type with an English accent. Man, between his perform in "Contagion" and "Black Sea," I bet those people feel less prophetic than the twits who assured their clients that the markets were solid on October 25, 1929. Unlike the doomed markets, Law's stock only continues to climb as he chooses films which are often not blockbuster fare but speak to the struggle of the human soul. Melodramatic? Watch this film and tell me it doesn't conjure as many existential questions stirring about your mind than a night reading Nietzsche."Black Sea" is, on the surface, an amazingly realistic submarine disaster film. I'm sure that others will compare it to "Hunt for the Red October" and "Crimson Tide." While I loved those films, they couldn't hold a candle to this. Why? Because the set-up is such a minor part in what truly comprises this story. Essentially, Law plays a man who has sacrificed decades of his life (both in terms of time and at the expense of his family) to the salvage company for which he works. Without warning, he is forcibly retired due to no fault of his own besides the horrific economy which is eating everyone alive. Upon meeting a group of mates (many of whom are also forcibly retired or barely working) at the local pub, he quickly learns that the only legitimate jobs open to men his age with his skills are those in low-paying fast food gigs. Unless . . . he can buck the system, defy its dismissal of him and others like him, and charter a submarine to a trench where a Nazi sub full of Russian gold is said to lie. To do so, he must gather a team of half-Russian, half-British sailors who are knowledgeable enough to perform the necessary tasks but also desperate enough to risk their lives.I won't go more into the details of the plots because it really is a brilliant suspense piece, but I would like to discuss some of the underlying themes of the film. Foremost, it dissects capitalism and the modern economy in which men who have devoted themselves in service to corporations often are disposed of with less fanfare than a retired machine. What is the worth of a man who has sacrificed his humanity in service? When the corporation is God, family, lover, and parent rolled into one, how does one retain any self-worth when that rejects you? More and greater sacrifices are demanded of workers every day even as jobs become less secure. How long until we are simply indentured servants of these modern deities? Second, what redeems a man? Can he regain his soul by saving the humanity of his brother? Third, we must ask ourselves if the divisions and hatreds we harbour are truly our own or serve to keep us divided so that our corporate overlords may keep us docile and without threat. If we were to realise that we of the working class have far more in common and in shared interest than the relatively minor nonsense that divides us, we would overwhelm the elites. But while we focus on the differences, we will continue to squabble among ourselves and allow them to chuckle at our ineptitude as we crawl for their crumbs.I invite everyone who loves a film which makes him/her ponder life long after viewing to watch this masterpiece. The acting is true to life, the dialogue is incredibly well-written, the special effects feel more like a documentary than special effects (I write that as the highest compliment), and the philosophic matter is par excellence. Just be sure to watch it with someone who appreciates multi-layered films.

The plot of this film very much depends on the negative public sentiment and mistrust of banks and big business in general which is strangely not in vogue as much in 2018, but in 2014 when Black Sea was released, memories were more fresh of the 07-09 financial crisis and public resentment was much stronger than it is today. Thus, Robinson (Jude Law) a submarine pilot who has just been fired from his job at a marine salvage yard puts a team together to recover millions of dollars worth of gold bars that sank to the bottom of the Black Sea inside a German U-boat. This is a very compelling story that has few moments without tension present. I highly recommend this film.

Excellent Product and Service

NOTE: DON'T watch the trailer. It gives away too much.Take a chance and go deep. 90 meters below the black sea, where a U-Boat full of gold sits. Yes there are cliches, including the cowardly lawyer lifted from Aliens for one, but generally the script and direction and acting overcome them with vigor. What the director understands is what is important in the story. The set up scenes are strong yet concise, whereas in most movies of this type you're half way in before anything happens. But the best thing about the movie is the acting. Having just seen Jude Law in "SPY" you will be astonished at how he lives in the skin of a character who is entirely different. He reminds me of a young Michael Caine, and that is a compliment. Credit to almost everyone else in the cast (I didn't like the "virgin" kid, but that's just me). The Russians and Brits here are so convincing you totally buy into the story and the inevitable conflicts. Don't know why this film didn't get more attention. Far better than most recent Hollywood action movies.

Worth a watch

Anxiety inducing but a great movie.

This is a good under-the-water adventure film. I think it makes the viewer very happy that he/she is not on that sub...regardless of how much gold there might be at the end of the rainbow, or at 20,000 leagues under the sea, even. Good picture. Some of the acting might seem a little stilted, but here I'm nit-picking. Recommend watching this flick as a whole production; it's quite good, even if there are some technical question marks, but hey, I've been a design engineer for many years, so take the comment with a few grains of salt. Sit and enjoy Black Sea. Jude Law, as almost always gives a very good performance.

This was a terrific submarine movie. You sort of think that the typical plot of kill off the other guys and everyone gets a bigger share of the pie will be the same old plot. NOT SO! This has so many wonderful twists and turns and a couple of things you do not see coming that make the movie great. I wish they had kept the foul language down a bit, but they are a bunch of mariners. Jude Law is terrific in this as the skipper of the submarine and his leadership takes several turns as well as his real humanness comes out in several plot scenes. You will be surprised at the ending. (Sorry no plot spoilers here!)

No la conocía pero muy muy buena peli

Produit et film de qualité...

Robinson, con un divorzio alle spalle e un figlio con cui non ha alcun rapporto, viene licenziato dal suo incarico di capitano di sommergibili per il recupero di relitti. Preso dalla disperazione, decide allora di mettersi nelle mani di un miliardario che gli offre di recuperare un immenso carico d'oro contenuto all'interno di un sommergibile tedesco che giace sul fondale del Mar Nero dalla seconda guerra mondiale.A bordo di un sottomarino di fortuna e a capo di un equipaggio poco addestrato, formato per metà da inglesi e per metà da russi, il capitano parte per un'avventura che si rivelerà ancora più pericolosa del previsto. Nell'immergersi nel profondo del mare, i membri dell'equipaggio si spoglieranno della propria umanità dando vita ad una massacrante lotta per la sopravvivenza.Riguardo al bluray lo consiglio vivamente, il video è sempre nitido e pulito, anche nelle scene scure, l' audio è un ottimo DTS-HD con bassi belli potenti quando servono, niente a che vedere con i pessimi dolby 5.1 che purtroppo spesso ci propinano.

Muy bien.

Upgraded my old copy to blu-ray and glad I did. Nothing was lost and the result is a better, visually, version.