It was a big deal when Paramount Pictures announced they would be making The Hunt for Red October. It would be the first adaptation from popular author Tom Clancy, the introduction of his character Jack Ryan. Rising star Alec Baldwin would play Ryan, but much like when Michael Keaton first played Batman, he would be 2nd billed to a bigger star, Sean Connery. They would be surrounded by even more star power, including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Tim Curry and Stellan Skarsgard. Most importantly, it would be the film John McTiernan directed after Die Hard with Jan de Bont once again working as Director of Photography. It was a very big deal.
The result is a long, but well-paced, exciting and suspenseful techno-thriller that serves as an excellent example of what a big Hollywood Blockbuster can do. The style evolves typical 80s action into what would better define the 90s, again focusing on an everyman hero under incredible circumstances. It also contains the most ingenious transition away from subtitles. The camera moves in on a soldier speaking Russian and on the word “Armageddon” – which is the same in both languages – the dialogue switches to English. That soldier is quoting Robert Oppenheimer.
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