Morality in The Hunt for Red October

1186 Words3 Pages

Morality in The Hunt for Red October

While hundreds, even thousands of excellent movies have been made over the years since motion pictures were invented, there are some movies that stand out among the best. There are various reasons for these standouts, sometimes incredible acting, sometimes impeccable story lines, but in many cases, it is the issues addressed by the movie. Most of the greatest movies contain commentaries or analyses of certain issues, be they moral, social, or otherwise. John McTiernan directed one of these films, The Hunt for Red October, based on the similarly titled best-selling novel by Tom Clancy. The Hunt for Red October, a product of the anti-communist attitudes of the 1980’s, is above all a commentary on morality. It follows a critical moral decision made by one man, Soviet Captain Marko Ramius, portrayed by Sean Connery, and follows the consequences of that moral decision to their conclusion. While this is not the only instance of morality being questioned in this movie, it is the most important, as it is the decision upon which the story is based. Other characters, like Alec Baldwin’s character of Jack Ryan, and Scott Glenn’s character Captain Bart Mancuso also have to make moral decisions that will have important effects on Ramius’ decision.
The storyline of this movie is a result of Ramius’ moral dilemma. While he has served the Soviet Union faithfully for years, he must now decide between patriotism and what he believes is right. He is made captain of a new nuclear missile submarine with a silent drive capability that would enable it to quietly approach the American coast and shower the United States with multiple nuclear missiles. Ramius realizes that this submarine has no other purpose than to take lives and to start, and finish, a war. He decides to defect with the submarine to the United States, betraying the Soviet Union. He knows that his defection will be considered treason, and that the Soviet navy will hunt him and attempt to sink him. Despite this, he decides to defect, choosing what he believes is right over what he is told is right by the Soviet navy. This is a direct commentary on the idea of doing what you feel is right instead of what you are told to do. Through the course of the movie we see the effects of this decision. The Soviets try to convince t...

... middle of paper ...

...se of the other characters, converge to create a storyline that makes this movie one of the most memorable in cinema. Ramius’ decision to do what he feels is right instead of what he is told is right leads the other characters to each make their own moral decisions. These decisions, with the exception of the KGB agent’s decision to attempt to stop Ramius, contribute to Ramius’ success. Each of the Americans choose to follow their feelings rather than what they’ve been instructed to do, and as a result, Ramius succeeds, and each of their decisions is proven to be the right one. The moral issues at the heart of this film contribute greatly to its success and the fantastic ratings it received. As with many other movies, it is enjoyable simply on the movie level, but it is even more entertaining when one can analyze the deeper messages in the film. It activates our mental viewing, forcing us to use our minds and not just our eyes to watch the film. This is what contributes to the excellence of this film. John McTiernan’s exploration of morality in his film The Hunt for Red October is what activates that mental activity when viewing this film, and increases the enjoyment of this movie.

Open Document