K-19: The Widowmaker: Difference between revisions
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| director = [[Kathryn Bigelow]] |
| director = [[Kathryn Bigelow]] |
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| writer = [[Louis Nowra]]<br>Christopher Kyle |
| writer = [[Louis Nowra]]<br>Christopher Kyle |
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| starring = [[Harrison Ford]]<br>[[ |
| starring = [[Harrison Ford]]<br>[[Liam Neeson]]<br>[[Shaun Benson]] |
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| producer = [[Kathryn Bigelow]] |
| producer = [[Kathryn Bigelow]] |
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| distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] |
| distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] |
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Revision as of 00:59, 15 September 2007
| K-19: The Widowmaker | |
|---|---|
 original film poster | |
| Directed by | Kathryn Bigelow |
| Written by | Louis Nowra Christopher Kyle |
| Produced by | Kathryn Bigelow |
| Starring | Harrison Ford Liam Neeson Shaun Benson |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date | 19 July 2002 (USA) |
Running time | 138 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ US$100,000,000 |
K-19: The Widowmaker is a movie released on July 19, 2002, about the first of many disasters that befell the Soviet submarine K-19. The movie was directed by Kathryn Bigelow; the screenplay was written by Christopher Kyle, based on a story by Louis Nowra.
The movie cost $100,000,000 to make, but gross returns were only $35,000,000 in the United States, qualifying it as a box-office bomb. The film was not financed by a major studio, (National Geographic was a key investor) making it one of the most expensive independent films to date. It was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Gimli, Manitoba, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The Hotel class submarine K-19 was played by the Juliett class K-77, which was significantly modified for the role.
Klaus Badelt wrote the film's militaristic score.
Controversy about the script
The producers made some efforts to work with the original crew of K-19, and the script aroused considerable ire when they first read it. Two open letters were sent to the actors and production team, one from several officers and crew members, the other from the boat's captain. Many complaints centered on the incorrect and stereotypical portrayal of the Soviet crew sailors as disorderly, drunken, illiterate, and rebellious.
The producers made significant changes to the script and the revised portrayal of the Soviet crew was more respectful. Several scenes were cut and the names of the crew were changed at the request of the crewmembers and their families. When the film was premiered in Russia in October 2002, 52 veterans of the K-19 submarine were flown in to the St. Petersburg premiere. Despite many technical and historical issues that remained (caused by the need to appease the general theater-going audience), the film and the performance of Harrison Ford in particular received praise from them.
In particular, the attempted mutiny that is shown in the movie never took place, and is still considered an insult to the patriotism of the K-19 crew. However, the captain of the actual K-19 did throw almost all the small arms overboard out of concern for a possible mutiny.
Cast
- Harrison Ford: Captain Alexei Vostrikov
- Liam Neeson: Captain Mikhail Polenin
- Joss Ackland: Marshal Zelentsov
- Shaun Benson: Leonid Pashinski
- Tygh Runyan: Maxim Portenko
- Peter Sarsgaard: Vadim Radtchenko
See also
- U-571 (2000)
- The Silent Service (1996)
- Crimson Tide (1995)
- The Hunt for Red October (1990)
- Das Boot (1981)
- Ice Station Zebra (1968)
- The Bedford Incident (1965)
- Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
- The Caine Mutiny (1954)
External links
- K-19: The Widowmaker at IMDb
- Box office data from The Numbers.
- Ships of the K-19: Widowmaker Movie - Photos from Mac's Navy Links