Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Gray Lady Down Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 25, 2021

David Greene's "Gray Lady Down" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new program with film scholar and former Navy officer Alan K. Rode; new audio commentary by critic critic Peter Tonguette; archival audio interview with Charlton Heston; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

If we assume that the events that are chronicled in David Greene’s Gray Lady Down took place around the late ‘70s, which is when the film was completed, the obvious question that immediately needs to be asked is this: can they be seen as legit? The pragmatist in me is convinced that the key event, which is the seemingly unavoidable collision between the U.S. nuclear submarine and the Norwegian freighter, is not legit. Why? Because both sides appear to be ignoring all sorts of different security procedures. Are there any particular reasons why they are doing it? I could not tell. The submarine’s radar -- and apparently other high-tech equipment as well -- registered the incoming freighter, the information was passed on to the proper parties for verification, but a simple visual ‘confirmation’ in some absolutely awful weather was enough to override the radar? Even a minor course correction would have been entirely appropriate and could have prevented the collision, but somehow no one on the submarine concluded that such correction was needed? An impossible scenario. The non-pragmatic in me, however, is willing to accept that something could have gone terribly wrong. Perhaps the radar displayed incorrect data, technical malfunction altered security procedures, or there was a human error that unexpectedly redirected the submarine. The problem with these developments is that they would not have led to the type of collision that is depicted in the film, plus the distance between the submarine and freighter that is highlighted before it is such that there would have been plenty of time to avoid it as well.

The rest of the film, however, is rather impressive. Somewhere off the coast of Connecticut, the badly damaged submarine sinks approximately 1,400 feet beneath the surface and Captain Blanchard (Charlton Heston) begins assuring the surviving crew members that it is only a matter of time before they are pulled back up. The man in charge with the inevitable rescue mission is Captain Bennett (Stacy Keach), who has plenty of experience but needs to rely on the skills and instincts of Captain Gates (David Carradine) and his best pal Mickey (Ned Beatty) as the two operate an experimental piece of diving equipment. Time, of course, isn’t on their side.

The drama that ensues is quite intense, but rather surprisingly lacks the sensationalism that was once favored by Hollywood producers that liked to invest in disaster films. The reason for this is the emphasis on the technical details of the accident which keeps the overwhelming majority of the footage looking very realistic. To be perfectly clear, there are hardly any big special effects that could warm the hearts of folks that find the likes of The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno irresistibly attractive. In this film, the excitement usually comes from the unique progression of different rescue strategies, rather than the type of fireworks that occasionally emerge from them.

Heston, Keach and Beatty are very good, but Carradine does was not the right actor to play the designer of the experimental submarine. He looks like an outcast that had something better to do but was eventually forced to participate in the rescue mission. The other questionable casting choice was Ronny Cox, who plays an emotionally unstable commander that seems on the verge of breaking down.

There is a fantastic new program with film scholar and former Navy officer Alan K. Rode on this release in which he discusses the history of the U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Program and some of the equipment that has been used in the past to extract survivors like the ones seen in the film. Rode confirms that a lot of the equipment that is seen in the film is authentic and explains that various procedures are done exactly as they need to be during real accidents.

Gray Lady Down Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gray Lady Down arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Universal Studios. However, this is one of the best such masters that I have seen emerge from the major's vaults. What does this mean exactly? It means that even though it has some minor yet obvious limitations, it provides a very solid organic presentation of the film. Admittedly, it does help that quite bit of the film is rather dark, but there are no traces of problematic digital corrections and as a result the basic qualities of the master are quite solid. For example, a lot of close-ups boast very good to excellent density levels (see screencapture #4). Delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good as well. In darker areas shadow definition is managed surprisingly well, too. Outdoor footage with bright light is where some of the inherited limitations of the master become obvious, but even there delineation, clarity, and sharpness remain pleasing. I liked the color balance a lot as well. All of the primaries and supporting nuances are nicely saturated and healthy. Is there any room for improvement? Yes, but primarily with a small range of lighter nuances and the highlights that interact with them. The rest looks really, really good. Image stability is excellent. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Gray Lady Down Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I did not encounter any serious age-related imperfections to report in our review. The dialog is very clear, stable, and easy to follow. However, from time to time the audio does become a tad too thin, so I wonder if a new remastering job can introduce some meaningful improvements to make it sound a little fuller. Dynamic intensity is fairly decent, but it feels like a few of the big gravity slides ought to be a tad more impressive. All in all, I think that the current lossless track handles the film's original sound design very well.

Gray Lady Down Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage theatrical trailer for Gray Lady Down. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• TV Spot - vintage TV spot for Gray Lady Down. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Image Galley - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Gray Lady Down.

• Alan K. Rode: Plumbing the Depths - this is one of the best bonus features that I have seen this year. Film scholar and former Navy officer Alan K. Rode discusses various tragedies involving U.S. submarines, the history of the U.S. Navy Submarine Rescue Program, the different types of equipment that has been used -- and is still used -- to recover survivors, how submarines were used during and after the Cold War, etc. Fantastic program. In English, not subtitled. (41 min).

• Stacy Keach: Lady's Man - in this new program, Stacy Keach recalls how he became involved with Gray Lady Down, what it was like to work with Charlton Heston and other cast members, his interactions with David Greene, and how the film was received. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Stephen McHattie: The Changing Tide - in this new program, Stephen McHattie explains why, in his opinion, Gray Lady Down was an anomaly at the time when it was produced. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• The Guardian Interview with Charlton Heston - in this archival audio interview, Charlton Heston discusses some key films and business relationships from his illustrious career. There is a fantastic segment that addresses the production of Touch of Evil. The interview was conducted in 1985. In English, not subtitled. (75 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Peter Tonguette.

• Booklet - exclusive booklet with a new essay by Omar Ahmed, archival articles on the film, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

Gray Lady Down Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An impossible scenario unleashes the drama in Gray Lady Down, so I wonder why Navy experts were not consulted to suggest how the big accident that sinks the submarine could have been made to appear authentic. However, the film is still pretty impressive because the drama actually remains grounded in reality and there are hardly any special effects that could have compromised it. This release is sourced from an older but very solid organic master that was supplied by Universal Studios. Also, it features an outstanding new program with film scholar and former Navy officer Alan K. Rode, as well as an excellent archival audio interview with the great Charlton Heston. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.