Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis (1991) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Iscove

Writer (WGA):

Alan Sharp (written by)

Release Date:

29 September 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Plot:

True story of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, its crew's struggle to survive the sharks and exposure, and the captain's scape-goat court-martial. |

Plot Keywords:

Shark | Court Martial | Atomic Bomb | North Pacific | WWII

Cast

Stacy Keach	...	Capt. Charles Butler McVay
Richard Thomas	...	Lieutenant Steven Scott
Steve Landesberg	...	Lipscombe
Don Harvey	...	Kinderman
Robert Cicchini	...	D'Angelo
David Caruso	...	Wilkes
Bob Gunton	...	Chaplain
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Hashimoto
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Tasker
Tim Guinee	...	Dobson
Neil Giuntoli	...	Goldstein
Gordon Clapp	...	Elias
Joe Carberry	...	Spilner
Dale Dye	...	Major Green
Eddie Frias	...	Cortes

Also Known As:

Mission of the Shark

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Mobile, Alabama, USA

Company:

Fries Entertainment

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where a seaplane lands at sea to rescue the crew, the plane used is a Grumman Albatross. However, this aircraft was not put into service until 1949. The real life aircraft that rescued the crew, was a Catalina PBY.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980) (TV)

Not bad as "True Story" Movies go

This film is nicely filmed, though probably purposefully has the feel and look (and dialog) of a movie made in the 50s or 60s. Since the beginning and end are set in the 60s, I suspect that it was done on purpose. Scenes on the Indianapolis are fairly well done. The acting is a little stiff throughout, which is mostly due to a rather dry, stiff dialog and unimaginative script. They do manage to get the viewer steamed up at the Navy at the Court Marshall of Captain McVay. The film leaves a bit to be desired, but the saddest part of the tale is that the horror is true and teh abhorent behavior of the US Navy was unforgivable, even as of 1991. I have no idea whether the record or memory of McVay has been cleared since, but it certainly should be. The film makes a strong statement about the horrible costs of war.