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Hollywood über-producer Don Simpson called it high-concept -- films in
which the idea took precedent over narrative structure and artistic
expression. While working as a production executive at Paramount, this
vision was expressed in an infamous corporate memo he helped to craft.
As reported in Charles Fleming's excellent book High Concept: Don
Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess, the memo states: "The
pursuit of making money is the only reason to make movies. We have no
obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make a statement.
Our obligation is to make money." Of course the danger of such a
manifesto is that incredibly hollow films
such as Hudson Hawk and The Last Action Hero get made. Simpson's
credo also helps to explain the impetus behind The Abyss. However,
The Abyss is a special hybrid -- a high-concept film with a
humanitarian edge.
When a nuclear submarine crashes to the bottom of the sea, the Navy
enlists the help of the crew of an underwater oil-drilling rig headed by
Virgil "Bud" Brigman (Ed Harris). The Navy salvage team, commanded by
Lt. Hiram Coffey (Michael Biehn), is taken to the Deepcore mining
facility by its designer, Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio),
who also happens be Bud's estranged wife. Once the Navy team
decompresses, it becomes evident that Coffey may be suffering from
high-pressure nervous disorder, the effects of which are nausea,
disorientation, and irrational behavior.
During the course of the salvage mission, Lindsey has the first of
several encounters with a watery Non-Terrestrial Intelligence (NTI). She
believes the NTIs are peaceful and just want to communicate. Coffey
dismisses this notion and thinks they are Russian in origin with the intention of
leading the enemy to the submarine. After the air supply aboard
Deepcore is severely damaged during a hurricane, Coffey
takes measures to recover and arm a nuclear warhead from the sub. As
his dementia heightens, he sends it to destroy the NTIs habitat located
at the bottom of a two mile deep abyss. Bud manages to subdue Coffey but
must travel down the abyss to disarm the weapon. He manages to do so but
has no way of returning to Deepcore. The NTI’s appear and rescue him.
They prove to be very humanitarian and return both Bud and Deepcore
to the surface.
At first glance, The Abyss does seem to follow the formula for a
paint-by-numbers blockbuster. It has an action-packed first act, an
introspective second act, and a riveting final act. However, Cameron
made a very personal film that expands upon this formula. There are
several key factors which predicate this. The two leads he chose are
exceptional actors who bring a true note of realism to the script. His
technician's flare for details results in the most visually impressive
underwater footage ever filmed. And his choice of ending makes The
Abyss something more than a money-making product.
When The Abyss was released in 1989, it had to compete against the
marketing onslaughts of Batman, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and
Lethal Weapon 2. It did not fare well. Critics praised its visual
splendor but universally remarked that the ending lacked a certain
decisiveness. With its incredible two hour built-up, the ending does
seem a trite understated. Rumors circulated that there had been an
alternate ending to the film but that due to the rising costs of the
production, Cameron had to opt for a more restrained ending. The truth
of the matter is that Cameron had actually shot his preferred climatic
ending, but he was contractually obligated to trim it from the movie due
to the excessive running time of the movie.
It wasn't until the success of his subsequent film Terminator 2:
Judgment Day, that Cameron was able to complete the "Special Edition"
of The Abyss. This edition was originally released on laserdisc in 1992,
then on VHS in 1996 and now the definitive version has come to DVD. The
Abyss: Special Edition has an additional 28 minutes of footage compared
to the original theatrical release. As with many "special editions"
much of the footage consists of extended scenes with the support cast,
helping to flesh out their characters. There are also a couple of
extended scenes explaining the volatile relationship between Bud and
Lindsay.
However, the most significant aspect of the Special Edition is
Cameron's revised ending. In the theatrical release of The Abyss, the
NTIs rescue Bud as an act of kindness in acknowledgment of his sacrifice
in defusing the warhead. In the Special Edition, this reason is given
a more ominous tone. An important setup scene occurs earlier in the film
(chapter 18 on the DVD). While Coffey and his team are recovering the warhead from
the sub, the Deepcore crew are shown watching television newscasts. The
various reports suggests a world on the brink of nuclear destruction
caused primarily by the competing interests of America and Russia in
salvaging the sunken submarine. When Bud is rescued by the NTIs,
they show him these broadcasts and then initiate a series of massive
tidal waves poised to destroy cities around the world. When Bud asks
them why they are doing this, they show him images of nuclear bombs
detonating. The NTIs retract the waves and then the original scene with
Bud in the chamber is inserted. With this three minute NTI communication
sequence with Bud and the two-and-a-half minute wave sequence, the
humanitarian message of The Abyss carries more resonance. The NTIs
cease being a benign underwater entity and become a true force of
nuclear deterrence.
The Abyss: Special Edition is a stellar example of
the potential of the DVD medium. The menu interface utilizes a
sub bay from the film: you navigate within the sub bay to
access the DVDs various features.
Disc One contains both the "Special Edition" version and the original theatrical
release. The audio (2.0 dolby surround and 5.1 dolby surround) is crisp;
the creaking of the submarine during the
salvage mission is truly eerie. The image is flawless in a
digitally-mastered widescreen transfer (2.35:1 ratio).
Owners of widescreen televisions will be disappointed to learn that
the two-disc set does not contain a 16:9 version. However,
this omission is balanced by the inclusion of an excellent text
commentary. The commentary features a glossary of the
technical terms used in the script, background information on the real
applications of fluid breathing, and shot-by-shot breakdowns that indicate which
shots are sets and which are miniatures.
Disc Two is an extremely thorough study of The Abyssthat literally
takes days to fathom (pun intended). There are two documentaries, "The
Abyss: Featurette" (a ten-minute promo on the making of the film) and
"Under Pressure: Making The Abyss," a compelling 59-minute
documentary. "Under Pressure" is a candid examination of the grueling
process behind the creation of the film. For example, producer Gayle
Anne Hurd admits that the production was never under control, and actor
Ed Harris describes the experience as total chaos.
The disc also features a multi-angle viewing of the movie's pseudopod sequence:
as the scene plays, you can actively switch between the final version, the storyboards, the original dailies,
and the working cut with temporary special effects. There is also a seven-minute time-lapse film of the construction of the main Deepcore set, a video storyboards montage, and behind the scenes footage of the surface
unit shoot, the crane crash, and the flooding of the submarine bridge.
The disc also features over 5,000 stills, including the complete
storyboard of the film as well as concept art. For the serious
aficionado, there is a section called the Drill Room in which you can
follow the wellhead pipe through every layer of the
supplement.
With its proper ending intact, The Abyss: Special Edition completes a
spectacular film that would be a welcome addition to any collector’s
library.
The Abyss is now available from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment as a two-DVD set. Disc One includes both the Special Edition version of The Abyss (which inlcudes 28 minutes of additional footage) and the original theatrical versiono. Both version are presented in widescreen format (2.35:1). A text commentary option is also available for both version. Disc Two includes a 60-minutes documentary titled "Under Pressure: Making The Abyss," James Cameron's complete screenplay, storyboards and original condept art, three DVD-ROM games, multi-angles of the pseudopod sequence, and more. Suggested retail price: $29.99.
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