Film Review: "The Command" ("Kursk") (2018).

"Based on the true story of the K-141 Kursk Submarine Disaster." This is The Command (Kursk). This war drama directed by Thomas Vinterberg, written by Robert Rodat and based on the book A Time to Die by Robert Moore. A small group of sailors survive a devastating explosion aboard the Russian submarine Kursk. The dying sailors wait for government help, unaware of the political thunderstorm raging on land.

In mid August 2015, it was announced that EuropaCorp was developing a film about the 2000 K-141 Kursk submarine disaster based on Moore's book, penned by Rodat and with Martin Zandvliet hired to direct. However, in late January 2016, it was reported that Zandvliet was no longer attached and that EuropaCorp had hired Vinterberg to direct the film. In mid March 2017, it was reported that the character of Vladimir Putin had been cut from the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, EuropaCorp's president, Luc Besson, wanted to shift the story's focus to the rescue mission rather than the politics behind the disaster. Putin had been Russian president for eight months when the tragedy had occurred. He was supposed to appear as a supporting character in at least five scenes and was sympathetically portrayed in the original Kursk script, which highlighted why he had taken the tragedy personally as Putin's father had been a submariner. By late April, Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth, Martin Brambach, August Diehl, Peter Simonischek, Max von Sydow, Bjarne Henriksen, Matthias Schweighöfer, Lars Brygmann and Michael Nyqvist were cast. However, Nyqvist died on 27 June 2017, making this one of this last roles. Despite completing all of his scenes, they were ultimately deleted. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late July. Filming took place in Binche, Brussels, Deinze, Flanders, Belgium; Finistère, France and Hunedoara, Romania. The film was originally scheduled to start in September 2016, but it had to be postponed due to Russia's defense ministry not issuing a permit for shooting in the country, which would run for about a month. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Russia's defense ministry originally promised cooperation with the crew to provide realism to the movie. However, later it reportedly grew concerned about granting access to classified information and sensitive locations.

The film stars Schoenaerts, Seydoux, Firth, Brambach, Diehl, Simonischek, von Sydow, Henriksen, Schweighöfer and Brygmann. Despite strong performances from the cast, their performances are sabotaged by the film's unnecessary political gibes and a schmaltzy tacked-on ending.

The film makes an audience care about Communists trapped between a rock and a hard place deep beneath the sea. The film is solidly paced and well acted but lacks the emotional connection that might have made it a classic. The film takes its place among a small group of undersea motion pictures. Unfortunately, it takes its place at the end of the line. What could have been a movie packed with historical significance and nail-gnawing underwater tension ends up little more than a lumbering public-service announcement for the human spirit.

Simon says The Command (Kursk) receives:

Also, see my review for The Hunt (Jagten).