Spoiler: (scroll between the two #
if you wish to read):# Now, I'm not sure how true
to life The Perfect Storm is given that The Andrea Gail perished, along with its crew,
and, as such, no one survived to tell what really happened. Obviously, some artistic
license would have been taken by the filmmakers but the film is made to look so realistic
that it is easy to imagine that the real-life events would have run a fairly similar
course to how it is presented in the film. #
Director Wolfgang Petersen certainly knows how to tell the tales of
stricken sea-going vessels. His 1981 film Das Boot (The Boat) remains the greatest
submarine thriller ever made and he has managed to recapture that same claustrophobic feel
that made Das Boot so absorbing. Petersen manages to virtually place his audience on
to the stricken swordfishing boat and we feel as if it is us who are in a battle for our
lives.
The tension in The Perfect Storm is almost tangible thanks to some
first-class direction from Petersen as well as some first-class performances from its
cast.
George Clooney is perfect as the skipper of The Andrea Gail, Billy
Tyne, a born fisherman whose recent humble returns force him and his crew to venture back
out to sea for one last "score" before the end of the season. Clooney has
that rugged look about him that makes him the stereotypical fisherman and it is his
character that should have been the focus of this film.
Instead, Tyne is made almost a secondary character as we learn more
about the lives of his crewman and never fully get to understand the reason that Tyne so
loves his fishing. It's a shame because a deeper exploration of Clooney's character
would definitely have been interesting to see.
What we get instead is a look at the rescue efforts of the U.S
coastguard as they attempt to rescue The Andrea Gail and another recreational boat that
has been caught up in the storm.
Too long is spent examining the efforts of the rescue effort
(although it does fully depict the extraordinary courage of the rescue team) and the other
stricken vessel. It is time that would have been better spent exploring deeper into
the lives of the crew of The Andrea Gail, after all they are the central element of the
story.
Still, there is still plenty to get caught up in as we witness The
Andrea Gail's fight for survival against the destructive forces of mother nature at her
worst. The special effects in this film are spectacular and you get a full
appreciation of the incredible magnitude of the storm. The sight of The Andrea Gail
being battered from pillar to post by the huge, make that gigantic, waves is certainly one
to behold and the shear realism that Petersen has managed to create should be applauded.
The Perfect Storm is a incredible, tension-packed tale of the
dangers of the sea and it is filled with excellent special effects that make it one
of the most visually spectacular films of the year. More importantly, however, it is
filled with some wonderful characters who you will definitely hope survive "the storm
of the century".
- Adam Matthews
