Submerged (2001 TV Movie) User Reviews (10)

Well done

[Ralpho · 7/10 · 19 June 2001]

I'm a military buff and an ex-Navy man, so I'm drawn to this type of movie whether its good or a stinker. Dramatically, I thought this movie worked quite well. There's action, but the viewer isn't hit over the head with it (pun intended). There are elements of the movie that appeal to men (fishing for a submarine with a grapling hook) and elements that appeal to women (the admiral's poor daughter lost her fiance).

I'm not intimately familiar with the real story of the Squalus rescue that this movie is based on, so I may be wrong about this, but I suspect liberties were taken with certain facts in the name of dramatic license. For example, the diving bell almost didn't make it back to the surface on the last of four trips. Swede Momsen, our protagonist, jumps into the water to tie a line on the contraption then proceeds to exhort the crew to "heave!" the bell to the surface by pulling on the rope. I have a hard time believing that really happened.

The filmmakers did pretty well with the military courtesy, but I wonder if Momsen really got away with calling the admiral by his first name with enlisted men within earshot. There's also a scene where someone salutes the admiral indoors. (The Navy only salutes outdoors.)

And lastly, the multiculturalists evidently had something to say about the casting of this movie because there is a black crewman on the submarine and one or two black crewmen in the crowd on the surface. I guess I can't blame the movie makers for doing this because the alternative is to be criticized by black activists, but that's not the way the Navy was in 1939.

All in all, though, a good movie. I gave it a seven.

Submarine down ... men trapped .. dramatic rescue ...promising ..

[Redbreast777 · 5/10 · 10 August 2001]

Submarine down ... men trapped .. dramatic rescue ... very promising elements .. but fails to deliver. The best ingredients are a waste on a poor chef, and that is what happened here. A pretty marketable story, by a good author, but too many corners cut in this made for TV snoozer. The story line was poorly paced to build any tension, the young lovers subplot was underdeveloped and all of the acting was generally weak. If you need to kill some time - fine; if you are a real naval fanatic - fine; but if there are other choices, they will probably be better.

Adequate account of dramatic event

[stevesv · 7/10 · 31 July 2001]

This is a relatively faithful recounting of the dramatic rescue of most of the crew of USS Squalus, which went down while conducting diving drills near the Portsmouth, NH Navy Yard in October 1939.

Of course, some liberties had to be taken for dramatic purposes, but key events, such as the divers suffering from the effects of such a deep dive (over 230 feet), and the fact that the rescue bell got stuck coming up with the last of the survivors, requiring yet another harrowing dive to free them, are handled well. Considering the press attention this event got at the time, the total absence of reporters from the movie is surprising, but sort of refreshing in a way.

That said, I never really was engrossed in this movie, with many of the dramatic moments falling flat. Maybe that's because I knew how it would turn out, but still, one would think the film could be a bit better paced. All in all, a 7.

High marks for story, low marks for scenery

[ArgonautV4 · 6/10 · 5 August 2001]

I'm rating this one a 6--spoilers ahoy. I live just half an hour from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, so I've been enamoured of the story of the Squalus since I was in seventh grade. Naturally, I was very excited to hear about this movie. Then I saw it and couldn't help laughing.

First of all, it is definitely not filmed on location. I've been inside the shipyard with my dad, and it looks nothing like the yard shown in the movie. But I'll be lenient on that one because the producers would be hard pressed to gain access to an active military facility. However, I will not be lenient on the unimaginable volumes of material ripped off from "U-571"! Models, sets, scenes, and musical strains, all siphoned out of "U-571" like nobody's business. If the Squalus looked that much like a U-boat, it's no wonder it sank! (Not to mention the constant mispronunciation of "Squalus" throughout the movie...)

But then there's the story. It's a true story, and the movie does it great justice. There's a Squalus survivor who still lives in these parts, and I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet him on one of my visits to the shipyard. He burned his account of the sinking into my brain, and as I watched the movie, it was as true to his story as could be. Having heard the story, I knew how it would end, but somehow, the producers still managed to make it a nail-biter! The scene in which the last group of survivors is brought to the surface was excellently done. Pure chance that Sam Neill, as good an actor as he is, bears such a fine resemblance to Swede Momsen.

Story-wise, it's a great movie; that's why I'm giving it a 6. But be prepared to get a few chuckles out of it if you live in Portsmouth or have seen "U-571" before; that's why I'm deducting 4.

Oh, and guys? Next time we make a submarine flick, can we remember to shut down the diesel engines BEFORE we close the main induction?

Horribly inaccurate historical representation of facts

[aharman-19241 · 1/10 · 10 January 2022]

Momsen never went on the first dive of the McCann Rescue chamber. He hadn't on any of the four trips. He was actually cited as scrutinizing the higher number of the rescued in the chamber, yet, told them to keep it up. The names of the operators cited in the movie were inaccurate as well. The following is a quote from a true account taken from the 1939 Newspapers:

Sibitsky made contact with the Squalus, and the 33 survivors cheered when they heard his lead boots clang outside. He did his job in the pitch dark without a hitch and safely returned to the surface. Some of the survivors' previous Morse Code messages requested food, so at 11:30 AM, while Torpedoman's Mate John Mihalowski and Gunner's Mate Walter Harman entered the dive bell, they brought a surprise. Inside the 10-foot high by 7-foot wide, 21,600-pound chamber, the pair brought hot pea soup, sandwiches, milk, and extra blankets and flashlights.

As they leveled the dive bell's buoyancy, they slowly slid down the line to the escape hatch, bolted down the chamber, and sealed it to the Squalus. When Mihalowski opened the hatch, he was greeted with the faces of the crew and quickly exchanged supplies. One of the survivors slurped his hot soup and jokingly remarked, "Where in the hell are the napkins?"

I do not know if Momsen actually knew the Captain of the S-51 as claimed in the movie. I do know that Walter E Harman was a S-51 crew member (listed in the original casualty list) later assigned to the USS Falcon. Some may say that it's a movie and that poetic license is often taken. The problem I have here is that it down plays the historic significance and bravery of those who risked their lives during the operation - almost like erasing them from history.

Fine Movie - Gripping

[Enrique-Sanchez-56 · 9/10 · 1 August 2001]

The one positive thing that struck me about this film effort was that it was not overly sentimental or melodramatic even though what we ARE dealing with here is the most basic emotions of pain and suffering for loved ones, whether spouses or peers.

Sam Neill does a fine turn here with his well-known understated treatment. The very capable ensemble of supporting actors also brought respect to this noble and deserving tale.

I am not a Navy man so if there were inconsistencies or inaccuracies, I was not the wiser. In any case, I never felt as if I were being manipulated or deceived. The telling was sober and respectful.

Just honest storytelling of a long unduly forgotten act of collective heroism. We need to see more stories like this.

Great story and historicly true

[Astro_Tom1 · 9/10 · 28 June 2003]

As my wife is the great grand daughter of Adml. Momsen this movie teaches the historical fact as to the type of person he was. I will get a copy of it. The acting was great as they showed all the emotion involved in a tragic event in the US Navy history.

The greatest American hero

[pethier-09658 · 9/10 · 13 February 2022]

"The greatest American hero".

Not my words, but the words of Peter Maas.

My wife is a grand-niece of Charles Bowers Momsen.

The show was a bit padded here and there, but the tension was sustained.

Great Job

[papachuck · 10/10 · 8 December 2001]

I read the book and happened to be channel surfing when the Submerged movie came on.... Found it very enjoyable and had to find another showing to get the first 15 minutes. Sam Neil does a wonderful Mumson. Overall very close to book and Special Effects are also well done...

Sam Neill

[RoboGarrett · 29 May 2020]

Sam Neill is great in this. The movie is well done and is understated and not over the top like a lot of other submarine movies try to be. Whigham is also great. This is an underrated movie, and one not many people have seen apparently!