The first-ever film to introduce the Tom Clancy-created character Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October is a classic in the pantheon of films inspired by the Cold War. In one of his last major acting roles, Sean Connery played a rogue Soviet commander in charge of a nuclear submarine who plans to defect to the US while Alec Baldwin appeared as the CIA analyst Jack Ryan who tries to find out the real motives behind these rising tensions.
The film lives up to its legacy as an intense thriller and turned Baldwin's character into a marketable commodity (with many other actors taking the mantle). A second viewing would reveal more intricate details in the film that one would have missed at first glance.
The Screenwriter Invented That Christopher Columbus Quote
"And the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams of home." Sean Connery's Captain Marko Ramius says this line, attributing it to Italian explorer Christopher Columbus by the end of the film.
However, according to director John McTiernan's audio commentary in a Special Edition DVD of The Hunt for Red October, the quote was actually written by screenwriter Larry Ferguson. "Larry wrote the poem that Sean quotes at the end. Obviously, Christopher Columbus never wrote anything like that, but the gimmick works," he says.
Different Lighting Scheme For Each Submarine
As most of the film takes place aboard three submarines, a change in color tones makes it simpler for viewers to distinguish between each. This is a technique that has undergone several interpretations over the years. For instance, even Greta Gerwig's Little Women and Christopher Nolan's Tenet play around with shifting colors to differentiate between two timelines.
In The Hunt for Red October, the titular submarine's interior is mostly lit in blue while Dallas and V.K. Konovalov rely on red and green lighting respectively.
The Red October Might Not Have Had A Periscope
Even though the US Navy did collaborate with the filmmakers to an extent, the production crew had no means to communicate with Russian naval forces to figure out the interior of a Cold War-era submarine. So, naturally, a lot of guesswork and basic submarine knowledge was relied upon, as explained by production designer Terence Marsh.
Retired American Navy sub-commander James H. Patton Jr served as a consultant on the film and he did feel that the Soviet vehicle Red October using a periscope in the depth that was shown would be unrealistic. In his words, "I advised them that technically this was unlikely because the sub would have to go into shallower water to up periscope. They listened, but they went ahead anyway because they wanted this visual effect."
The Die-Hard Teddy Bear Re-Appears
Apart from this 90s classic, John McTiernan revolutionized 80s action by helming the direction of Predator and Die Hard. In the latter, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is seen with a brown teddy bear that he plans to gift to his children.
In The Hunt for Red October, Jack Ryan is also seen with a similar stuffed toy, replicating the brown hues and the red ribbon around its neck. In this film too, Ryan buys the teddy bear as a gift for his daughter. There are high chances that the same bear might have been used, serving as a meta-reference in McTiernan's filmography.
James Earl Jones Is The Only Actor To Appear In All Original Jack Ryan Films
The film's success spawned two more Jack Ryan films in the same universe, making way for Harisson Ford to portray the iconic character in the sequels, Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger. Other replacements included Anne Archer as Catchy Ryan (as Gate McFadden was involved in Star Trek: The Next Generation).
Such casting changes along with the addition of new characters implied that only James Earl Jones has been a consistent member of the franchise, reprising his role as Admiral James Greer.
A Disneyland Ride Was Incorporated In The Sound Design
Sound effects were an integral part of the submarine scenes considering the importance of sonar and undersea action in the narrative. The sounds produced by Disneyland rides like Space Mountain were used as the "squeals" and "groans" of the submarines by sound designer Frank Sarafine, as told to American Cinematographer.
As an article on Film Sound describes such rides, "the metal experience thousands of pounds of stress from centrifugal force of the cars as they pass sharp turns."
Diverse Cameos
The film made space for a few creatives to also serve as extras on the submarine crews. For instance, screenwriter Larry Ferguson is credited as Chief of the Boat (aboard the USS Dallas).
Similarly, film editor and director Peter Zinner appears as Admiral Yuri Padorin. If that's not at all, McTiernan's own father John McTiernan Sr. is also credited as 'Advisor #2' making an appearance in the White House as Jack Ryan gives a briefing.
The Film Inspired Two Video Games
The novel The Hunt for Red October had already inspired a 1987 video game of the same name that functioned as a strategy-driven submarine simulator. The movie, on the other hand, inspired two games (again carrying the same name), for the Amiga and the NES. Both are side-scrolling single-player strategy games featuring deep sea combat and bonus cinematic scenes.
In 2000, The Sum of All Fears also spawned a tactical shooter receiving mediocre reviews. However, around that time, Tom Clancy's popularity had already risen in the video-game world, courtesy of the acclaimed Ubisoft franchises inspired by his fiction, including Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell.
Three Cast Members Had Prior Military Experience
James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, and leading man Sean Connery, all had previous military experience, probably adding more authenticity to their characters.
Having served in the Korean War, Jones had attended Ranger School and was discharged from the army as a First Lieutenant. As for Glenn, he served in the United States Marine Corps for three years. Sean Connery had enlisted the Royal Navy at the mere age of 16 during the final months of World War II.
The Movie Released Around Significant Political Changes
Despite its Cold War overtones, the crew behind The Hunt for Red October never viewed the project as a political film. Mid-production, the Berlin Wall had been torn down in 1989. And when the film released in theatres on March 2, 1990, it was public news that the Soviet Union was on its way to dissolution.
Director McTiernan saw the film as a "sea story" rather than a political thriller, and even advertising designer Tony Seiniger didn't rely on the cliched "hammer and sickle" elements for his posters. As producer Mace Nufeld added, "We were determined not to turn it into a Russia-bashing movie. It’s about a man defecting, one government that’s trying to stop him, and our government, which is trying to help him. It’s a fairly simple story."