The Perfect Storm (2000)

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen | 128 minutes | action, drama, thriller, adventure | Actors: George Clooney, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, Karen Allen, John Hawkes, Christopher McDonald, Josh Hopkins, Michael Ironside, Cherry Jones

In director Wolfgang Petersen’s CV, one thing is indisputably clear: the man loves spectacle! ‘Das Boot’, ‘Air Force One’, ‘Troy’, ‘Poseidon’: these are all films that bear witness to Petersen’s desire to immerse the viewer in a fierce, overwhelming film experience. And remarkably much takes place in the water. His masterpiece ‘Das Boot’, for example, and ‘Poseidon’, as well as the true story ‘The Perfect Storm’, has his characters battle with indescribably large waves caused by various weather elements on an extremely intimidating sea. The familiar image from the trailer or on the poster, of the small fishing boat standing practically upright against a gigantic wave about to swallow the boat in its entirety, is a perfect representation of the film. This is exactly what you will see. Genuine, nail-biting spectacle. Everything else, however respectful of the real events and characters, is really secondary.

A year after ‘Three Kings’, George Clooney can be seen again in a film with Mark Wahlberg and they show that they can form an adequate emotional anchor within the context of an action film. That is, you care enough about them and can identify with them enough as a viewer to empathize with them the entire ride and desire that they survive. It also helps that the characters are likeable, and maybe just (in the case of Clooney’s captain Billy Tyne) a bit brash. They are honest, hard-working men, more or less forced by the greed of a capitalist villain – boss Bob Brown (Michael Ironside) – to quickly get out to sea again, and sail on in search of more fish. Even though you as a viewer might not immediately react the same as Captain Tyne, you understand why he goes out to sea and takes the risks he takes. He does it partly for his pride, but also simply for his livelihood.

Once at sea, the only conflict or struggle that matters is that between the sea – and the fish, which may or may not be “biting” – and the men on the boat, who will have to work together and ultimately – figuratively – all will have to put in a lot of effort to survive. While conflict is also created on the boat between two crew members, Dale (John C. Reilly) and David (William Fichtner), this feels too contrived to make a dramatic impact. The characters aren’t exactly nuanced and their dialogue is melodramatic at times, but as a means of transporting the viewer into the storm, they do the trick. It’s really like sitting with the men on their boat – the Andrea Gail – and feeling every speck of seawater and smelling the retrieved fish. This also has a lot to do with directing, editing, and camera work. The camera is also literally on the boat, or attached to it, taking the wildest angles along with the vessel. Stories of nauseated, vomiting cast members are certainly credible. Not that you get sick as a viewer, but you are definitely part of the experience. You should not think that you can watch this film quietly from your lazy chair, and in addition, a surround system is actually mandatory for a film like this. Although there is already enough tension in the story of the Andrea Gail, during the course of the film – after about an hour – Petersen throws everything into a higher, more intense gear. Not only are Tyne and his group in need, a pleasure boat elsewhere on the sea is also in danger, and a helicopter must be brought in to help them, whose pilots, in turn, due to the insanely inclement weather, must also fear for their lives. For example, there are cuts between these three vehicles to bring the action and tension to an almost unbearable level. And there’s something to be said for it’s all a bit too much. The intimate and also grandiose story of the Andrea Gail might have been enough. But at the moment itself, as a viewer, you go along with everything. It’s these awesome, mostly computer-generated confrontations with the storm and the waves that give ‘The Perfect Storm’ its great strength.

Once the registers are all open, you as a viewer can only surrender to the insanely strong “current” of the film. And yes, you can rightly complain about the less successful elements of the film. Like the improbable (but apparently authentic?) fact that nobody on the Andrea Gail really seems to be keeping an eye on the weather reports, even if things didn’t look so rosy before departure. Or the simple way in which the mutinous crew is persuaded to steer a certain course. Furthermore, the grieving women on the side/home front are a bit over the top – there are several “Fisherman’s Friend” moments in them – a melodramatic element that Petersen would also take seriously abuse for ‘Troy’. The same goes for the somewhat dominant, repetitive score by James Horner, who can make beautiful things (like the soundtracks for ‘The Mask of Zorro’ and ‘The New World’), but sometimes comes to the fore here with his themes. But in the end, this is all mostly secondary to the convincing action and tension in the film.

‘The Perfect Storm’ takes the viewer, after a quiet introduction, into the “eye” of the storm for almost an hour and a half; in the lion’s den. We are there on the boat, together with the crew, lashing the ropes and the rudder. We too hold on to everything we can find in order not to go under. Gasping for breath, we surface after more than two hours. Not necessarily intellectually stimulated, but with the feeling of having really experienced something.