“The Abyss”
1989, directed by James Cameron
When a US nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks in an abyssal trench off of the Cayman Islands, the Navy commandeers an experimental underwater drilling rig and its roughneck crew to investigate and search for survivors. Things quickly go wrong as a hurricane cuts off their contact with the surface and heavily damages their equipment. Trapped at the edge of the trench, the crew discovers that the sinking of the submarine may have had something to do with mysterious, and apparently alien, life forms living at the bottom.
Made after the success of “Aliens” but before the Oscar domination of “Titanic,” it is interesting to examine “The Abyss” as a transitory companion piece to both, though it is often lost in the vacuum created by public adoration of Cameron’s earlier and later films. This is a shame, because “The Abyss” arguably broke more ground than either “Aliens” or “Titanic.” Cameron came into “The Abyss” looking for fresh ways to make his alien characters believable, and the result was a series of pioneering CG techniques that would eventually make both the liquid metal Terminator in “T2” and the sinking of the Titanic possible. Cameron’s arduous underwater shoot for “Abyss” also required him to invent his own special cameras, a technical achievement that would aid him in filming the equally watery “Titanic.”
The story itself is certainly Cameron’s most mature to date, even despite the naïve nuclear disarmament message that powers the final scenes. Unfortunately, most viewers run under the jaded assumption that this “peacenik” message is the main statement of the film. I disagree, as did Orson Scott Card (the author of the Ender Quartet) in his indispensable novel adaptation. Card saw that Cameron’s anti-nuke sentiment, instead of existing for its own purposes, stemmed from the relationship between the two main characters, played by Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. An estranged married couple thrown back together amidst impending disaster, they are forced to confront the fact that they are still bound by their vows and very much in love. Their love eventually comes to encapsulate everything worth saving about humanity, and adds a critical emotional element to Cameron’s argument for an end to Cold War tensions – an argument that would have otherwise fallen flat. A reading of Card’s novelization, I would argue, is essential for the fullest understanding and enjoyment of “The Abyss” as a film; his first three chapters were written before production even commenced, and given to the lead actors to study while preparing for their roles.
Cameron did, however, make some grievous editing choices in order to pander to studio executives who wanted him to cut his running time. The theatrical version of “The Abyss,” especially the ending, is incomprehensible drivel: a marvel of underwater photography, but riddled with plot holes. It wasn’t until later that Cameron reintegrated several critical scenes in his magnificent “Special Edition.” By then, many didn’t care to give “The Abyss” a second chance, though it richly deserves one. It is constantly underrated, and for all the wrong reasons.
No comments:
Post a Comment