Deepest, Bluest: 25 Years of Deep Blue Sea
In 1975, Steven Spielberg terrified a generation (and many more to come) with JAWS. While it will be celebrating 50 Years next year, one movie is celebrating 25 years.
In 1994, screenwriter Duncan Kennedy wrote a screenplay for a new shark movie, DEEP BLUE SEA. After witnessing a shark attack, he was inspired to write a script about the notorious predators. He penned a script that was mostly a military action movie which would change after several rewrites. However, the very base of the story was still there and Kennedy was happy with that. While writing, he wanted to make sure that it was very clear the sharks in this movie were man made, and not the creatures people often fear. This was important because one of the unintended side effects of the terrifying nature of JAWS, was people went out relentlessly killing sharks, thinking they were doing good. Years later and with much more education, we know sharks are not the vindictive creatures the world thought they were, unless we made them that way.
Director Renny Harlin had such hits as DIE HARD 2 and CLIFFHANGER under his belt and was the perfect choice for such an outing. While there’s several nods to JAWS scattered throughout, Harlin was aware he needed to separate this movie from the inevitable comparisons. Unlike JAWS, in DEEP BLUE SEA we see the sharks right from the opening scene. Harlin wanted to see the sharks as much as possible so you’re not even thinking of JAWS when you’re watching this.
JAWS’ shark, affectionately named Bruce, was problematic at best during filming. The shark often didn’t work, and there were several workarounds that had to be done in order to get a movie without a lot of the creature. And it works! JAWS builds tension, character and a fear that at any point, you are not safe in the water. In DEEP BLUE SEA, the shark is working. With some amazing animatronics, that even some actors were afraid to even be near, there is a constant sense of danger in the movie. Of course, with advancements in technology, DEEP BLUE SEA had the benefits of using CGI to do some of it’s more complex shots. Even today, while CGI has advanced immensely, there’s no denying this movie still holds up and runs chills down your spine when you see a Mako shark coming for our heroes.
This movie also comes equipped with a cast that has to be mentioned. The biggest name of course is Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson was originally hired to play preacher, which would eventually go to LL Cool J, but the production created a new character for Jackson, and Cool J was the comedic relief without being over the top. LL Cool J would also provide two songs for the soundtrack which can be heard over the end credits. Thomas Jane, plays our resident bad ass and shark wrangler. Stellan Skarsgård, plays a cocky scientist willing to do whatever it takes to his work done. And finally, Saffron
Burrows, plays Dr. McAlester. She is hell bent on creating a new drug which will cure Alzheimer’s, by
using a protein found in a shark’s brain.
McAlester’s character, who heroically (or rightfully so I say) sacrifices herself to keep the sharks from escaping the sinking facility. However, this was not the intended ending. After test audiences saw the movie, they felt Burrows’ character was also a villain, because she was so reckless with her research and the side effects (not too put all the blame on her, Skarsgård’s character was also well aware of what was going on, but he got what he deserved). So a one day re-shoot was done, and some CGI work included, and we have the ending we have all seen. While there have been many petitions to restore the original ending, so far nothing has been released, and I think a re-watch of the movie will help you decide that the ending we know, is really the right ending for the movie.
We could not talk about this movie without talking Sam Jackson, who played Franklin (a millionaire funding this experiment) and one of the greatest death scenes, or just scenes in cinema history. After giving a passionate speech and implying he and some other men cannibalized some others after a plane crash, in the blink of an eye, he’s gone. During this speech, he stands too close to the pool and, yeah, a shark gets him. Sounds simple when described, but if you saw this movie when it came out, you know that death scene was all anybody talked about. This character makes it half way through, and right after giving a speech that even Captain America would be proud of, he’s snatched away.
Coming out at the tail end of the 90’s, DEEP BLUE SEA is one of the best action, adventure, horrors since JAWS. Is it as good as JAWS? Comparing these two movies based solely on the fact they have the same creature as a villain, it’s hard to argue which movie is better. JAWS is an effective character building aquatic horror with great performances. It’s a slow build experience for an extremely satisfying ending. DEEP BLUE SEA is a whole beast on it’s own. It’s an entirely different experience, and to say one is better than the other is a hard thing. DEEP BLUE SEA gives us characters we like and
care about, but with so much blood and gore and action scenes, that’s what keeps you in your seat. The
performance’s and the action work well together. Without a perfect balance, this could have been
another ridiculous aquatic adventure to be lost to time. Twenty Five years later, here we are still talking
about it.
