The Abyss

I was on the phone to my uncle the other day discussing underwater camera work, he mentioned that I should watch 'The Abyss' (1989, James Cameron), by coincidence when I switched the TV on that evening, 'The Abyss: Special Edition' was showing! So I decided to sit down and watch all 3 hours of it!

I was expecting this film to be a little bit darker than what it was, saying that, there were some scenes containing floating dead body's and exploding equipment due to the huge pressure (sorry for any spoilers!), but it was actually a much 'happier' story than I was expecting.

After a US submarine sinks a team on an oil rig are recruited to search the wreckage. Whilst exploring the darkest depths of the ocean, they come across an exotic species living at the bottom of the ocean. Unlike the usual aliens terrorising the planet, these aliens are peacemakers attempting to stop war occurring amongst the human race.

This film has a claustrophobic feel about it, I found myself holding my breath along with the characters as disaster follows disaster! A hurricane, a betrayal and several deaths! One of the most heart wrenching scenes is when the only way of escape for husband and wife Lindsey and Virgil Brigman is for Lindsey to drown herself with the hope of being revived the other end.

Almost the whole film is located beneath the waves, giving this film a unique and distinctive feel. It was filmed in one of NASA's pools with the surface being covered in black ping pong balls to create the eerie darkness of the ocean floor! The use of close ups also helps to build the feel of being trapped beneath the waves in the darkest depths of the ocean.

The special effects throughout are convincing, particularly the scene where the alien life form mimics the humans on board the submarine, moulding its water like material to match the faces of the crew on board. 

The only criticism I would have about this film would be the reveal of the alien spaceship during the final sequence. Personally I would have preferred the mystery of the alien life form to be left to the imagination, saying that however this is a fantastic film that I would definitely recommend watching.