The Abyss (1989)

24 November 2020

The Abyss (1989), is a sci-fi film set deep underwater. In this James Cameron picture starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, the story has petroleum workers tasked with rescuing naval officers that went down in a nuclear submarine. The story gets more complicated with a team of navy seals smuggling a warhead onboard, their leader getting unhinged, and an alien presence adding confusion to the entire crew's experience.

Harris shines in this film, perhaps too brightly given this is a run of the mill 80s Action Adventure flick like so many others of that time that needed "a crew" (The Thing, Aliens, The Poseidon Adventure come to mind - they all have that similar story structure that really adds that 80s feel). Harris seems an out of place presence by comparison, but a welcome one since his acting really keeps your attention. With a 2h20m runtime it doesn't seem that long, and I think he's a big reason why.

The only competition Harris had was James Cameron's and his aquatic interests. Nearly a character itself, the full frontal of sea exploration technology and involvement makes for another layer to understand. That deep interest reflecting in his film gives a push on investment that also adds a garnish of a documentary feel - from this film you can see his hobbiest path to Titanic and to underwater documentaries in Cameron's later years.

The Abyss felt combative, and definitely reflects a lot of the stress and tension endured by the cast during development (this article talks a lot about it). For its time though the visuals are good, the story it interesting (though kinda all over the place), and it's an average ending. But these are early works of Cameron and Harris that hold up to time petty well - even after over 30 years. 7/10