Crimson Tide is a 1995 submarine film directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by Michael Schiffer and Richard P. Henrick. It focuses on the tension that occurs between the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer who must share not only the scarce and dangerous space aboard an Ohio-class nuclear submarine, but also the weight of responsibility for the nuclear SLBMs they are trained to deploy, and the mental stress of the dire consequences that could result from this. The film was scored by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the main theme, which makes heavy use of synthesizers in place of traditional orchestral instruments.

Plot

The film takes place in 1994 (from several references made by the story) during a period of instability in Russia. Units of the Russian military loyal to an ultranationalist have taken control of a nuclear missile installation and are threatening nuclear war if either the American or the Russian government attempts to confront him.

The United States nuclear strategic missile submarine USS Alabama is given the mission to go on patrol and be available to launch its missiles in a pre-emptive strike if the Russian despot, Radchenko, attempts to fuel the missiles his men have captured. Captain Frank Ramsey (Hackman) is the commanding officer of the sub, and one of the few commanders left in the Navy with any combat experience. He chooses as his new executive officer (XO) Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Washington), who has an extensive education in military history and tactics, but no combat experience.