KURSK: THE LAST MISSION / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: THOMAS VINTERBERG / SCREENPLAY: ROBERT RODAT / STARRING: COLIN FIRTH, MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS, LÉA SEYDOUX, PETER SIMONISCHEK, MAX VON SYDOW / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The submarine subgenre is one usually associated with dramatic, action-filled suspense as heroically brave men toil with their emotional burdens while sitting on enough firepower to destroy a continent. There have been the political thrills of The Hunt For Red October (1990), the power struggles of Crimson Tide (1995) and the trials of daily life underwater in Das Boot (1981). Thomas Vinterberg’s Kursk, which tells the story of the true-life submarine disaster in 2000 is an altogether different affair, a film dripping with sadness amidst the fury and frustration of forlorn hope.
Our first introduction to the fictional Mikhail (Schoenaerts) and his fellow sailors sees them pawning their watches to raise enough money to provide the drink for a wedding, after their bonuses are unpaid. It is the night before they set off on the Kursk for manoeuvres, a single joyous moment before crippling despair and bristling anger set in.
When disaster strikes, and the few survivors are left imprisoned in a small compartment with dwindling air and supplies, Vinterberg’s focus switches largely to the attempts of the wives and families left behind and the inaction and stubbornness of the Russian command. As seen most recently in HBO drama Chernobyl (2019), the reluctance of the authorities to both acknowledge the scale of the problem while feeding a steady stream of misinformation to all who enquire adds depth to the events unfolding on screen. You feel the desperation of the sailors as they slowly accept their fate, you understand the pain of those at home as they begin to realise that no answers will be forthcoming, and you sense the frustrations of the many – including Colin Firth’s British commander David Russell – offering much needed assistance.
With several heart-wrenching set pieces and some impressive visuals – although not everything quite works as you feel it’s supposed to – Kursk is a thoughtful and troubling film. The speed with which those in charge prioritise their pride and politics over the lives of their own countrymen is tough to watch at times. Schoenarts, Léa Seydoux as his impassive wife, Firth et al all convey just the right amount of stoic emotion in the face bureaucratic incompetence, and even if you know how the story ends, you will be gripped by this tragic tale.
Not a film to schedule if planning an enjoyable Saturday night, and with a downbeat finale that is both appropriate and potentially indulgent, Kursk is a credible tribute to the lives lost in the disaster.
