Directed by:
James CameronScreenplay:
James CameronCinematography:
Mikael SalomonComposer:
Alan SilvestriCast:
Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Jimmie Ray Weeks (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (14)
James Cameron always gets his way and when he sets his mind to something, everything just falls into place. From the filming system, the set construction, the casting, down to the tiniest decorations and details. He is a brilliant director and when it comes to potential, there is hardly any competition in Hollywood. The Abyss, above all, has an immense power in the ending and the duo of Ed Harris – Elizabeth Mastrantonio is so perfectly chosen that it's hard to believe. The presence of complex visual effects doesn't overwhelm, and everything is exactly as it should be.
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From a purely filmmaking point of view, this must have been hell to film in such cramped spaces. And when a chink of space appears, it immediately fills with water. But purely from a viewer’s point of view, it’s good that Cameron decided to go accept the challenge of making it. This has a fundamentally positive impact on the atmosphere. But this makes the ending all the more annoying, because Cameron is no good at presenting (selling) a message like this. The movie simply lacks even a drop of Kubrick inside it and not even the longest of director’s cuts can help.
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When Cameron wants to do something, like shooting an entire film in a water tank, he just does it and the result is always perfect. Although this film wasn't nearly as big a hit as Terminator 2, I put it higher in James Cameron's filmography, and it’s further proof of his immense perfectionism – he just can't make a bad film. And since I've seen the director's cut, I have to say that the extended ending with a stunning (for its time) visual effects scene puts this film in a completely different light.
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I watched the extended cut, fortunately, because I wouldn’t like to have missed a single minute. I don’t really know what the “original” shorter cut is missing, but I wonder what they could have left out for the film to still make sense, and my conclusion is that it must be the twist. The Abyss is a very good and tense sci-fi film full of minor clichés, which I wasn’t a fan of, but I came to terms with them. Cameron probably cares more about visual spectacle (the special effects are of course brilliant) than smart unpredictable scripts.
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Probably the weakest Cameron so far (not counting Piranha), but still something to watch. The Abyss has, above all, a great atmosphere, which becomes increasingly intense as the minutes pass and shapes the story into a very compelling and dark form. Cameron does another great job, Silvestri's music is also impressive and the rest is carried by the charismatic Harris with the help of the wonderful visuals. It has some weak spots and a somewhat tedious first half, but the precise direction and unforgettable ending leave no doubt that a true master of the craft was at work here. Good job.
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