Black Sea – Movie Review

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Dennis Kelly
Stars: Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Tobias Menzies

The recently released “Fury” dealt with acts of valour of five men in a Sherman tank in the last months of the Second World War being led by a charismatic leader; Black Sea deals with acts of bravery and cowardice of a motley collection of Russians and English speakers in an almost redundant, rust bucket of a submarine, motivated by greed, led by a charismatic Captain Robinson, seeking to snaffle a large quantity of gold which lies on the floor of the Black Sea encased in a sunken Nazi U boat. Both movies deal with a group of men in a confined space up against overwhelming odds. Both movies have a paternalistic relationship between the leader and the youngest member of the group.

Kevin MacDonald, whose previous movies include “The last King of Scotland”, creates tension as he highlights the various expectations of the diverse crew members which become more intense as self-interest and nasty petty jealousies and overt nationalism between them comes to the  fore. Captain Robinson, Jude Law, dominates the action as he seeks to defuse, deflect and diminish the various corrosive selfish demands. Tobin, played by 21 year old Bobby Schofield, is the kid, who was plucked by Captain Robinson from a life that was going nowhere to join the adventure as a general dog’s body; Schofield gives a creditable performance as he balances his naivety and inexperience against the cunning and experience of his older mates while pushing himself to live up to the elevated expectations which Captain Robinson has of him and for him.

There are exciting scenes as the old rust bucket submarine moves along the sea bed through ravines and strange terrain, when two of the crew leave the submarine in what they believe is in the vicinity of the sunken U boat. Their walk on the sea bed is reminiscent of the first walk of the American astronauts on the moon in 1969. Indeed the floor of the sea appears almost as strange as the surface of the moon.

MacDonald holds your attention at all times as he develops the various antagonisms between the members of the motley crew whom Captain Robinson just about commands. Black Sea maintains a steady intensity and for fans of Jude Law it is a blast.

Review by Frank L.