This is a fictionalization of the Russian submarine disaster that made world-wide news. Adapted from a book, the story runs in multiple alternating stories. Matthias Schoenaerts stars as the submarine officer who has to keep the survivors alive. Léa Seydoux co-stars as his wife, battling for information from the naval authorities who are stonewalling. Colin Firth has a bit part as a British officer, representing the international offers for help. Meanwhile, the severely underfunded Russian navy has only one ill-maintained rescue vessel, and, for political or other reasons, is resisting offers to help from various NATO countries.
The underwater scenes were suitably claustrophobic. While different (sometimes under-trained) crew members exhibited different reactions, there was general camaraderie, as also shown in an early sequence where various underpaid crew members sell their watches to help finance a colleague's wedding.
A significant bit part is the young son of Matthias Schoenaerts' character, who opens the movie practicing holding his breath underwater - a skill needed for future naval / submarine work. The kid represents the children of the whole crew.
I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was surprised to see that Kursk was in English. The director reasoned that he didn't speak Russian, and the film was about various communities coming together, something that was more universal than it being just a Russian story.
Note that I am reviewing this as a movie, not as to whether this is a complete historical document.
The underwater scenes were suitably claustrophobic. While different (sometimes under-trained) crew members exhibited different reactions, there was general camaraderie, as also shown in an early sequence where various underpaid crew members sell their watches to help finance a colleague's wedding.
A significant bit part is the young son of Matthias Schoenaerts' character, who opens the movie practicing holding his breath underwater - a skill needed for future naval / submarine work. The kid represents the children of the whole crew.
I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was surprised to see that Kursk was in English. The director reasoned that he didn't speak Russian, and the film was about various communities coming together, something that was more universal than it being just a Russian story.
Note that I am reviewing this as a movie, not as to whether this is a complete historical document.