MPAA Rating: PG/ Genre: Adventure/ Stars: Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, Nick Nolte, Louis Gossett Jr., Eli Wallach, Dick Anthony Williams, Earl Maynard, Bob Minor, Teddy Tucker, Robert Tessier, Lee McClain, Peter Benchley, Colin Shaw/Runtime: 123 minutes
Operating as a leisurely stroll of an adventure that also offers the people who choose to sit down and give it a view a wonderful mix of peril, uniqueness, and history as well as enough riveting suspense to ensure that this is a good but not great slice of cinematic pie, the film that is 1977’s The Deep is one that will you on an odyssey to a locale not often shown on the silver screen. That of course being the decaying, rotten husks of ships long sunk and the various components, treasure included, that are now key ingredients to their submerged existence. Indeed once they may have been truly majestic vessels, but now these relics of a time gone by serve merely as locales in which one can find an assortment of things. Yet despite everything onboard once having a function and/or purpose, its value nowadays is set by factors that those who owned it first never would have considered in a million years. Suffice it to say then that The Deep is a slice of cinematic pie that chooses to immerse itself not just in the intriguing yet also potentially perilous occupation of hunting for treasure under the water, but it also inserts in the proverbial human element that creates in some a lust and dangerous envy for those who manage to make an incredible discovery to the point that they might just be willing to kill in order to obtain that very treasure for no more and no less than their own selfish whims and/or desires.
The plot is as follows: The Deep begins its riveting yarn as we witness a young couple from New York by the names of David Sanders and Gail Berke respectively as they are in the midst of a nice and relaxing vacation on the island paradise that is Bermuda. A vacation that soon hits an unexpected detour into danger when, whilst engaged in the leisurely pastime of scuba-diving, our intrepid couple decide to venture off the beaten path and wind up discovering what remains of an old vessel from the 2nd World War known as the Goliath, where they uncover a few artifacts that they decide to scoop up and bring back up with them. One small item amongst the flotsam and jetsam they have brought back up with them is a small vial of an unknown substance. Would be hardly worth mentioning really if it weren’t for the fact that it soon catches the attention of a local man of some not exactly pleasant renown by the name of Henri Cloche who requests of them to purchase the seemingly worthless vial, but is politely yet firmly turned down. Following this rather….interesting encounter we soon see our dynamic duo decide to pay a visit to a man by the name of Romer Treece, a man who is something of a local expert in the school of lost treasure and the ships they were being carried on and who also sneaks away the vial from our couple whilst he is engaged in conversing with them about one of the artifacts they found underwater. However when our heroes are attacked by Cloche and his gang for the vial and cannot give it to him, our dynamic duo promptly goes back to Treece and form an partnership with the goal in mind of scooping up the remaining vials since they apparently contain quite a bit of morphine that on the black market would be worth quite a bit of money. Of course it should come as no surprise to learn that matters are soon made even more complex with the uncovering of even more valuables that seem to hint at not only another vessel in the vicinity, but also priceless treasure as well. As such, what started out as a truly remarkable and life-changing find has now turned into a quite perilous game for our trinity of intrepid heroes. A game that, if won, promises riches and reward beyond their wildest imaginations, but at the same time promises that if they lose said game then the cost will truly be no more and no less than their very lives….
Now despite on the surface appearing to be nothing more than just your typical entry in the adventure genre of movie magic albeit one with a novel locale and ingredients consisting of suspense, a degree of mystery, a dash of pathos, and some little moments of action here and there, what makes the slice of cinematic pie that is The Deep unique is that it doesn’t really stumble in any way nor is it really a masterpiece in any sense of the word either. Most crucial of all however would be the fact that this slice of cinematic pie doesn’t exactly regale with us a narrative that is really that impressive in the grand scheme of things or at least one that makes sitting down for a couple of hours’ worth the trip under the sea to tell it to say nothing of giving us a resolution that is not really all that surprising. Put another way dear reader: this slice of cinematic pie is one that just “exists” in that it isn’t a bad movie by any means, but it’s not exactly one that is going to ensnare you and make you think you have to see it even its narrative is fairly interesting and the curves in the road of the narrative are, by and large, well planned. Indeed it may act as if it’s on a loop at times, it might not be as quick paced as you would like, but it still manages to conjure up just the right degree of suspense and wrinkles in the numerous outings taken by the characters underwater. Be that as it may be, the slice of cinematic pie that is The Deep is still able to maintain an enigmatic aura, a riveting vibe, and an irresistible curiosity as to just what is there under the tranquil ocean waters in the vicinity of a ghastly and decaying final resting place of people, of metal, of priceless artifacts, of possible riches, and impending peril as well.
Now from a technical point of view, I think it is safe to say that The Deep is able to operate just a wee bit better than when examining this slice of cinematic pie based off its narrative alone. Indeed showcasing quite a bit in the way of phenomenal underwater camerawork that helps to showcase a variety of perils both human and natural alike, this slice of cinematic pie is often able to neutralize the one-note tempo displayed in these sequences due in large part to the smorgasbord of visible intel which can be found not only in the foreground, but also in all the rusted away steel, vibrant marine life, and various other items that make up the background as well. Sadly, the moments of this slice of cinematic pie that occur on land aren’t quite as good as the ones in the water. Indeed despite being occupied by some moments of action, a hint of drama, a few tries at getting some emotion into the mix, and peppering the narrative with enigmas and historic-based questioning that at certain moments effective and others not so much, The Deep does try to construct itself around a solid enough narrative rather than do what others have done and simply provide a run of the mill and predictable narrative that we have all seen a million times before. Yet whilst there is a narrative here that by and large works like it is supposed to, this slice of cinematic pie is still a wee bit too filling and detailed to operate on the level that it should. Finally it should also be noted that The Deep manages to showcase a quartet of good but nothing really special turns from its 4 leads including one particularly noteworthy co-starring turn from Eli Wallach. Indeed as the veterans on screen we get Louis Gossett Jr., who I feel didn’t get half as much screen time as he should have, and Robert Shaw both giving fine performances with their dialogue back and forth during a cricket game being one of the better moments in the whole film. As for the new kids on the block, we see that Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset are also able to give performances that are what they need to be in order for this film to work from beginning to end.
All in all I am pleased to say that the slice of cinematic pie that is 1977’s The Deep is one that manages to contribute if nothing else a good if not exactly powerhouse narrative for the movie goer who chooses to give this the time of day to enjoy time and time again. At the same time, this slice of cinematic pie is also able to deliver to movie goers a sense of tempo that is not bad albeit a tad bit clumsy in its execution from time to time, performances from a game cast that are wonderful even if they’re nowhere near as iconic as some of the other parts these gifted thespians have gifted audiences with over the years, and just the right degree of both intrigue and peril in equal measure in order to keep you, the viewer and their attention hooked for as long as this slice of cinematic pie’s runtime requires it. Thus, I think if you could best describe this particular slice of cinematic pie in a phrase then the best phrase that immediately comes to mind is “good but not exactly great and/or game changing”. A phrase that I feel fits incidentally because at the end of the day this film’s existence is one that is showcased for audiences courtesy of a set of decent to good ingredients all being assembled to help conjure up a engaging, fun, riveting, and ultimately worth the time to sit down and give a watch cinematic viewing experience. Suffice it to say that when taking into account the world of movie magic both back in that long gone year of 1977 and especially today when seeing just how varied in terms of quality a lot of today’s slices of cinematic pie often are, sometimes a movie being “good but not great” is not the worst thing in the world. Suffice it to say then that neither is this film. It might not be a masterpiece, but hey! Not only could you do a whole lot worse, but at least it’s a fun time to be had and sometimes that’s really all you need from a movie….On a scale of 1-5 I give The Deep “77” a solid 3 out of 5.
