Run Silent, Run Deep

Watched the movie "Run Silent Run Deep" today at the recommendation of a good friend and fellow kdrama aficionado.

Starring Clark Gable as an obsessed submarine captain Commander "Rich" Richardson and a smokin' Burt Lancaster as second in command, Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe. Assignment: make a new Navy Mom paranoid and anxious for her son. Result: Mission accomplished.

It was a tense drama from beginning to end and really well done. I'm told by my dear friend Geommy that it's highly realistic to submarine life during World War II. Not sure if the occasional plots to mutiny were particularly realistic, but it added to the drama and showed what a fine officer Jim Bledsoe was.

See, Gable's an old salt in this and was after the Japanese destroyer that sunk his sub a year previous. It was a revenge trip and in an effort to exact it, he twisted some arms, called in some chips to get the command of the vessel that Lancaster was slated to head up. Like I said though, Bledsoe's a good and decent officer, there's no palace machinations. He follows orders, doesn't feed into the crew's crap, but makes sure he shoots plain and straight to his commander.

It was a tense movie directed by Robert Wise and well done. I felt myself tighten up when Gable went after one destroyer - sort of a manly "who's got balls now" beef trip that works wonders to boost the crew's morale. The anxiety was intensified when our sub and the Japanese sub were under water playing a silent game of chicken.

Like I said, Lancaster was smokin' in this flick. Those beautiful eyes and granite jaw....woooooof! Mommy, they made 'em nice back then. To say nothing about that fine backside. However, leadership , integrity and a uniform are turn ons too and Burt had it all going on.

Gable was an older Gable. Like all 1962 all sort of popeye-eyed and wrinkly. Rhett Butler he ain't. He's smart, savvy and strong but driven to settle the score for his dead crew and he'll spare no expense, even if its at the cost of another crew. You don't hate him and you don't want mutiny; you understand where it's coming from ~ yeah, it's to avenge his men but it's as much to redeem himself.

Not a chick to be seen in "Run Silent Run Deep" - oh wait; yes there is ~ we get a peek at Commander Richardson's wife who asks her man if she can make some lemonade for him earlier on in the movie. Look sister, make it for yourself and add some gin. You don't need some man to tell you its ok. You might want to learn how to manage the bills too doll, 'cause daddy's not coming home and you're going to be on your own. Askin' a man if she can make lemonade. Sheeesh. Oh, yeah, and the other morale booster is the picture of the long legged bimbo with her butt cheeks peeping out of her shorts that the fellas like to pat on the hiney before they start battle formation. Misogynistic to the max ~ the place is soaked in testosterone. Reeks of it.

Sexism aside, good movie. I mean, they weren't very enlightened back in the 40s, so I have to cut them some slack on the chauvinism and the sweaty man tension. Will I watch again? Prolly not. But I enjoyed it ~ making me want to go back and watch "Field of Dreams" again so I can see those beautiful Lancaster eyes. But yes, I enjoyed the movie every bit as much as I'm enjoying knowing that Geommy is going to read this and smile and delight in the shout out.