Buzz
The compelling performances of Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington as two Navy officers debating whether to launch nuclear missiles and potentially trigger a third World War in *Crimson Tide* are so gripping, it's easy to forget the star-studded cast that also includes James Gandolfini, Jason Robards, Viggo Mortensen, and Steve Zahn. Here are 17 more action-packed facts about Tony Scott's film, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
1. THE FILM WAS INSPIRED BY A DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY.
The creative minds of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were sparked after watching the four-part documentary, *Submarines: Sharks of Steel*.
2. QUENTIN TARANTINO CONTRIBUTED AS AN UNLISTED WRITER.
While *Michael Schiffer* received the film's sole screenplay credit (based on a story by Schiffer and Richard P. Henrick), Tarantino also added his touch to the script. He penned the scene where the crew members discussed their favorite submarine films. Tarantino and Tony Scott had previously worked together two years earlier when Scott directed Tarantino’s script for *True Romance*.
3. DENZEL WASHINGTON HAD A SHOWDOWN WITH TARANTINO ON SET.
Washington openly expressed his frustration with Tarantino’s use of racial slurs. The *Pulp Fiction* writer-director reportedly requested a private discussion, but Denzel refused. In a 2012 *GQ* interview, Washington shared that he had since apologized to Tarantino, mentioning that his own daughter had appeared in Tarantino’s *Django Unchained*.
4. ROBERT TOWNE ALSO WORKED AS A GHOSTWRITER.
The Oscar-winning *Chinatown* screenwriter’s contributions to *Crimson Tide* included the scene in the officers' mess, where Hackman and Washington express their contrasting philosophical perspectives, setting the stage for their eventual intense conflict.
5. WARREN BEATTY AND AL PACINO WERE FIRST CHOICES FOR CAPTAIN RAMSEY.
After several meetings with producers Simpson and Bruckheimer, the two eventually moved on because Beatty was slow to commit to the role. Al Pacino was also considered for the role of Captain Ramsey, but he, too, took too long to give a definitive answer. Hackman, however, agreed relatively quickly.
6. BRAD PITT WANTED TO PLAY DENZEL WASHINGTON’S ROLE.
Pitt was eager to work alongside Al Pacino. However, once Pacino was no longer attached to the film, Pitt lost interest in playing the role of Hunter.
7. HANS ZIMMER AND JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, ALONG WITH TONY SCOTT, BATTLED OVER A SINGLE MUSIC CUE FOR A WEEK.
“We would just sit there, come in every day, and go at each other,” Zimmer recalled to *Film Score Monthly*. Apparently, the debate paid off, as the composer went on to win a Grammy for the film's main theme.
8. THE NAVY AND THE PUBLIC WERE AT ODDS OVER THE FILM'S CENTRAL THEME.
During his research for the script, Michael Schiffer discovered that every naval captain he spoke to believed they would launch missiles if given the order, even if a subsequent command were interrupted, much like the scenario depicted in the movie. However, every civilian he interviewed firmly stated that they would not launch, “of course.”
9. THE U.S. NAVY REFUSED TO HELP WITH FILMING.
Their primary issue was the mutiny depicted in the script. Although the film's technical adviser, Skip Beard U.S.N. (Ret.), insisted that mutiny had never occurred in the U.S. Navy, this might not actually be entirely accurate.
10. TONY SCOTT WAS SHOCKED BY THE LACK OF OFFICIAL NAVAL SUPPORT.
Due to his previous experience directing *Top Gun*, Scott was confident that he had an inside track with the Navy.
11. THE CREW STILL MANAGED TO FILM A NAVAL SUBMARINE SUBMERGING.
When a civilian tip-off informed Scott of a submarine departing Pearl Harbor, the director arranged for boats and helicopters to capture the necessary exterior shots. Scott insisted that his actions were completely legal. By pure coincidence, the submarine in question happened to be the real USS Alabama.
12. THE FILM'S TITLE REFERENCES THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA.
The University of Alabama's athletic teams are known as the Crimson Tide. The school's legendary head football coach from 1958 to 1982 was Paul “Bear” Bryant, whose name inspired the name of Captain Ramsey’s dog, Bear.
13. IT MARKED RYAN PHILLIPPE’S FILM DEBUT.
Though Phillippe began his career on television, playing the first gay teenager on a daytime soap opera *One Life to Live* three years earlier, *Crimson Tide* was his first feature film. He portrayed Seaman Grattam.
14. HACKMAN ONCE PUNCHED WASHINGTON BY ACCIDENT.
Although Hackman told Larry King it was an accident, he admitted it created a tense atmosphere on set.
15. THE BOXING MONTAGE WAS A CREATIVE SUGGESTION FROM WASHINGTON.
The actor wanted to make the most of the boxing scenes he was filming before shooting. Four years later, in 1999, he portrayed boxer Rubin Carter in Norman Jewison’s *The Hurricane*.
16. THE BRIDGE OF THE USS *ALABAMA* MAY LOOK FAMILIAR.
It also served as the bridge for the USS Georgia in *Independence Day*.
17. BOTH HACKMAN AND WASHINGTON WERE MISTAKEN ABOUT THE LIPIZZANER STALLIONS.
Ramsey incorrectly stated that they are Portuguese, while Hunter thought they were Spanish. In reality, Lipizzaners are Slovenian. However, Hunter was correct when he challenged Ramsey’s claim that they are born white; Lipizzaners are actually born dark and gradually turn white between the ages of six and ten years old.
