I’ve always liked submarine movies (and books, too); their tight, self-contained, claustrophobic, danger-filled environments invite hypertensive intensity and action, often with global consequences.  Phantom is an intriguing addition to the genre, positing that in 1968 a Soviet submarine attempts a mission so secret that its own officers know nothing about it.

Inspired by the true-life disappearance of Soviet submarine K-129, Todd Robinson’s movie creates its own explanation of the mystery.  Without going into detail, it is clear that Robinson’s hypothesis is certainly possible, but probably not true.  History still shrouds this naval tragedy in secrecy, but this is one time that truth is probably much stranger, and harder to believe, than this fiction.

One aspect of the production that has puzzled some is the lack of accents among the Russians (all played by American actors).  The producer claims that accents would distract from the message, and the basic humanity, of the story — which seems true — but it is really strange to think of Ed Harris, William Fichtner, Jonathan Schaech, David Duchovny and the rest of the crew as Commies while they are speaking normal English.  The film should have used the device in The Hunt for Red October whereby they spoke Russian at first, then used a visual cue to switch to English.

The situation is unique, and the atmosphere is intense, and yet Phantom still falls victim to melodrama and cliché.  For all the thought that the bad guys on the boat put into their plans, once they take command they completely fail to consider how devious and mobile the captive personnel prove to be.  The underwater battles are pretty much by the book, and the model work, while convincing, is never impressive. And then there’s the ending, which is by turns confusing and elegant.  It’s an odd mixture that never quite strikes a great balance.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  4 March 2013.