Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Black Sea Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 27, 2015

Director Kevin Macdonald's (The Last King of Scotland) Black Sea blends two reliable cinema genres, the Submarine movie and the Heist movie, into a single, smartly crafted, and enjoyably intense Thriller that gets more mileage out of its character interactions and the surrounding submarine drama than it does the men's quest to secure a fortune in gold bricks. The film leans heavier on the "Submarine" side of the ledger, with the gold but a plot driving framework device meant to build characters and the ensuing drama that engulfs them. The film never quite comes fully together, however, springing a few leaks along the way, but its total output of dramatic intensity, craftsmanship, performance, bleak notes, and tight flow make the movie an overall positive watch that's well worth the nearly two-hour investment.

To the sub.

A longtime salvage operator named Robinson (Jude Law) is let go from his job, a job his employers claim is no longer necessary in the ever-changing technology of deep-sea salvage. He's not particularly impressed, but when he's commiserating with friends, he learns of an opportunity of a lifetime: the whereabouts of a sunken Nazi submarine said to be carrying millions in gold bars. Robinson runs with the idea of salvaging the treasure and is backed by a mysterious financier named Lewis (Tobias Menzies) who insists on 40% of the find for himself, the rest to be evenly split amongst the crew. Robinson builds a mix British-Russian crew and sets sail for the Black Sea in a rusty, antiquated submarine. En route, tensions mount and the crew comes dangerously close to self-destruction before even setting eyes on the prize.

Black Sea proves itself a capable film that hits all the right notes and does so through what is generally a well-paced flow, evident even in what are, in lesser films, usually sluggish stretches, particularly the first act planning phase. But that doesn't leave it without some minor shortcomings that, thankfully, are more of the disappointing variety than they are backbreaking problems. The movie plays with all of the usual Submarine movie tropes, including the anxious, breathless quiet; the intensive listening for the slightest of telltale signs of movement or detection; and sprung leaks and various technical problems that keep the sub from working at full capacity. The movie gets most of its mileage out of the cramped quarters and the various bits of character mistrust that builds, shaped here as much by a language barrier and a lack of intimate familiarity as much as the tight confines of the submarine's maneuvering space. The film manages to squeeze a fair bit of mileage out of its somewhat unique take on the confinement by blending in the nontraditional goal of moneymaking with the traditional goal of underwater survival and by adding some clever, if not obvious after-the-fact, plot twists that only further serve to raise the figurative temperature on board a makeshift submarine crew that's already pushed to its limits. The result is a moody inter-character film accentuated by the close quarters, inherent dangers, and psychological overtones that are often more impressively and engagingly dramatic than the more basic physical requirements necessary to carry the film through to conclusion.

Even as Black Sea is more dynamically engaging thanks to its inter-character tension rather than its raw submarine and heist elements, the film falls short of excellence by way of its fairly flat characters. Interplay and drama are fine, but there's an absence of in-depth or even novel character construction. Individuals are driven by basic goals and struggle with fundamental problems. The film doesn't take the time to build any of them as uniquely interesting, all of them made to serve a purpose rather than engage the audience on a personal level. That's something that sets the best of the Submarine films apart; movies like The Hunt for Red October and Das Boot enjoy effortless characterization and equally strong performances, in the former an honest sense of camaraderie between Ryan and Ramius and in the latter a tangible sense of crew togetherness and shared danger that's never really fully realized in Black Sea, at least not to the degree by which Wolfgang Petersen's film thrives on it. All of the movie's core positive qualities flow more from the sheer strength of the surrounding pieces, particularly the film's technical craftsmanship and the way the movie uses the characters, as stock as they may be, to build a large, though somewhat more generic, bubble of tension.

Black Sea Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Black Sea's 1080p transfer is a stunner. Although there are brief bouts of banding, which can be heavy in a couple of instances, the image otherwise impresses in every area. Details are positively striking. The HD video source material and the Blu-ray transfer reveal intimate, deep pores and facial lines, stubble, and clothing textures with ease. Rusty old equipment, worn down instrument panels on the sub, gauges, and cracked paint are all marvelously presented. Colors are satisfactory, and even as much of the action takes place in the lower lights, cramped spaces, and flat accents on the sub, daytime exteriors yield attractive greens, colorful flowers, and rich skies. Black levels and flesh tones offer no cause for concern. Noise, blocking, and other intrusions are nonexistent, making for an exemplary new release Blu-ray presentation.

Black Sea Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Black Sea's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is up to the task of bringing the film's many sonic elements to life. Music is healthy and commanding, whether the lighter, deeply accented notes that open the movie or the more aggressive beats that support some of the more robust action scenes. There's an unmistakable sense of natural, enveloping space to music, complete with aggressive but balanced surround and subwoofer support. When the heavier music is mixed with chaos on the sub -- spilling water, grinding machine parts, and the general din of chaos -- everything remains well proportioned and prioritized with absolute clarity across every element, major and minor alike. The track produces a number of basic submarine effects to strong precision, including heavy, moaning hatches; crashing waves; and background machinery. Smaller effects like a ticking stopwatch, releasing gas, and churning gears help give full sonic shape to the environment. Dialogue is well balanced and enjoys natural front-center placement. All in all, this is a top-tier track from Universal.

Black Sea Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Black Sea contains a commentary and a featurette. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.

• A Dive Into The Black Sea (1080p, 5:15): A basic overview that covers plot, story origins, casting, character specifics, and shooting on a real sub.
• Audio Commentary: Director Kevin Macdonald discusses the film (starting at the 2:10 mark) with a good overview that covers characters, casting and the strengths the actors brought to the film, story themes, technical basics of the filmmaking process, shooting locations, and more. This is a good, well-rounded track that feels like listening to a friend discuss the movie.
• Previews (1080p): Hanna, Kill the Messenger, The Place Beyond the Pines, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The American, and Closed Circuit.

Black Sea Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Black Sea feels always on the precipice of greatness. All of the pieces beyond more interesting individual character dynamics are in place, even as the movie almost necessarily maneuvers through all of the usual Submarine movie devices that add an almost artificial tension to the film due largely to audiences familiarity with how these movies work. The film squeezes out a good bit of overreaching character drama in the interplay, but it fails to offer much of an incentive to care on the micro, single-character level where even the best developed are nothing more than stock figures. It's a fun movie, well made, and worth watching, but it'll likely be remembered for being so achingly close to something much better than "good." Universal's Blu-ray release of Black Sea features excellent video and audio. Supplements are limited to a commentary and a short featurette. Recommended.