Below (2002)

Director:

David Twohy

Writers (WGA):

Lucas Sussman (written by) &
Darren Aronofsky (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 October 2002 (Singapore)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Six hundred feet beneath the surface terror runs deep

Plot:

Strange happenings occur on a WW II submarine.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Record Player | Depth Charge | Grappling Hook | U Boat

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Matthew Davis	...	Odell (as Matt Davis)
Bruce Greenwood	...	Brice
Olivia Williams	...	Claire
Holt McCallany	...	Loomis
Scott Foley	...	Coors
Zach Galifianakis	...	Weird Wally
Jason Flemyng	...	Stumbo
Dexter Fletcher	...	Kingsley
Nick Chinlund	...	Chief
Andrew Howard	...	Hoag
Christopher Fairbank	...	Pappy
Chuck Ellsworth	...	Navy Pilot
Crispin Layfield	...	Navy Lookout
Jonathan Hartman	...	Schillings
Sebastian Knapp	...	Sonar #1
Max Casali	...	Air Manifold
Alexis Conran	...	Helmsman
Matthew Leitch	...	Zap
Gary Broadway	...	Mess Steward
Tim Plester	...	Motormac
Craig Blake	...	Steward
Mitchell Barnett	...	Bow Planesman
David Crow	...	Sonar #2
Nick Hobbs	...	Captain Winters
Chris Bridgeman	...	Stern Planesman
David Twohy	...	British Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Bayfield	...	Radar Operator (uncredited)
David Gries	...	Rescue Sailor (uncredited)
DJ Perry	...	Rescue Sailor (uncredited)

Directed by
David Twohy

Writing credits (WGA)
Lucas Sussman		(written by) &
Darren Aronofsky		(written by) and
David Twohy		(written by)

Produced by
Darren Aronofsky	....	producer
Sue Baden-Powell	....	producer
Mark Indig	....	co-producer
Andrew Rona	....	executive producer
Eric Watson	....	producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer
Michael Zoumas	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Graeme Revell
Tim Simonec

Cinematography by
Ian Wilson

Film Editing by
Martin Hunter

Casting by
Felicia Fasano
Daniel Hubbard
Anne McCarthy
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Charles Dwight Lee		(as Charles D. Lee)

Art Direction by
Mark Harris		(supervising art director)
Fred Hole

Set Decoration by
Richard Roberts

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Waller

Makeup Department
Fae Hammond	....	makeup artist
Frances Hannon	....	chief of hair
Frances Hannon	....	chief of makeup
Waldo Mason	....	special makeup effects artist
Daniel Parker	....	special makeup effects artist
Rossana Parker	....	makeup artist
Sue Westwood	....	prosthetics hair artist
Shaune Harrison	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Duncan Jarman	....	prosthetic makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Nigel Gostelow	....	unit production manager
Mark Indig	....	unit production manager
Brian McNulty	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Daniels	....	first assistant director
Toby Ford	....	first assistant director: second unit
Gary B. Goldman	....	first assistant director: USA
Barney Hughes	....	second second assistant director
Don H. Julien	....	second assistant director: USA
Olivia Lloyd	....	second assistant director: additional photography
Matthew Sharp	....	second assistant director
Gareth Tandy	....	first assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
Gari Bacon	....	props
Mark Bartholomew	....	draughtsman
Roger Bowles	....	draughtsman
Anthony Caron-Delion	....	draughtsman
Bryn Court	....	sculptor
James Enright	....	modelmaker
Paul J. Hayes	....	construction coordinator
Carol Kupisz	....	graphic designer
Ginger McCarthy	....	head rigger
Brian Neighbour	....	chargehand carpenter
Sarah Robinson	....	art department coordinator
Terry Royce	....	dressing superviser
Terry Royce	....	props
Alex Smith	....	art department assistant
Gert Stevens	....	junior draughtsman
Nick Thomas	....	stand-by props
Remo Tozzi	....	draughtsman

Sound Department
Christopher Atkinson	....	sound assistant
Chris Atkinson	....	sound assistant
Tim Boggs	....	adr editor
Bryan Bowen	....	sound editor
Kerry Ann Carmean	....	foley editor (as Kerry Carmean)
Mark Choi	....	sound editor
Harry Cohen	....	sound editor
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
Zack Davis	....	adr editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	adr editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Eric Flickinger	....	sound recordist
Brian Fredrickson	....	sound recordist
Scott Martin Gershin	....	sound designer
Scott Martin Gershin	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Laura Graham	....	adr editor
Craig S. Jaeger	....	foley editor (as Craig Jaeger)
Christian Joyce	....	boom operator
Michael Keller	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Lewis	....	auricle operator
Peter Lindsay	....	production sound mixer
Kimaree Long	....	adr editor
Kimaree Long	....	dialogue editor
Mark Ormandy	....	additional sound
Tom Ozanich	....	sound editor
Alan Rankin	....	sound editor
Blair Scheller	....	boom operator: Michigan
Branden Spencer	....	sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Hugh Waddell	....	adr supervisor
Kim Waugh	....	additional sound
Caron Weidner	....	sound editor
Greg Zimmerman	....	foley recordist
Peter Zinda	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Michael Ahasay	....	special effects assistant
Sam Barkan	....	special effects: Michigan
Steve Benelisha	....	special effects assistant
Nick Bonathan	....	special effects crew
Sam Conway	....	special effects coordinator
Dave Eltham	....	floor supervisor
Jody Eltham	....	special effects assistant
Michael Fox	....	special effects technician
Darrell Guyon	....	floor supervisor
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects supervisor (as Stephen Hamilton)
Dan Homewood	....	special effects technician
Ian Lowe	....	senior special effects technician
Martin 'Marty' McLaughlin	....	senior snow effects technician
Brian Morrison	....	mechanical effects supervisor
David 'Pinkie' Thomas	....	snow effects technician
Simon Webber	....	prosthetics artist
Mark White	....	special effects technician
Nick Finlayson	....	senior special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Bain	....	digital effects supervisor: Double Negative
Adrian Banton	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Pete Bebb	....	modelling lead
Philip Borg	....	digital artist
Jim Bowers	....	digital matte painter
Richard Briscoe	....	digital compositor
Leon Buckley	....	video operator: visual effects unit
Chris Burn	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Peter Chiang	....	visual effects supervisor
Jeppe N. Christensen	....	digital artist
Frazer Churchill	....	lead compositor
Mike Connolly	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Dayne Cowan	....	digital effects artist
Ciaran Crowley	....	digital compositor
Ken Dackermann	....	digital compositor
Hayley Easton	....	digital artist
Michael Bruce Ellis	....	compositor
John Follmer	....	head of production: MetroLight Studios
Paul J. Franklin	....	head of 3D: Double Negative
Mark Freund	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title
Martin Gardeler	....	digital artist
Gavin Graham	....	effects animator: Double Negative
Joseph Grossberg	....	visual effects consultant
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: Double Negative
Jeremy Hattingh	....	digital compositor
Martin Hill	....	technical supervisor: Double Negative
Nic Hodgkinson	....	digital artist
Rudi Holzapfel	....	senior compositor: Double Negative
Alex Hope	....	visual effects producer
Jody Johnson	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Olivier Junquet	....	effects technical director
Jesper Kjölsrud	....	lead digital artist
Isaac Layish	....	digital artist
Mattias Lindahl	....	lead effects animator
Andrew Lockley	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Heather MacPhee	....	compositor: MetroLight Studios
Fay McConkey	....	visual effects producer
Ken McGaugh	....	technical supervisor: Double Negative
Jake Mengers	....	Senior 3D Animator - Double Negative
Mark Michaels	....	lead compositor
John Moffatt	....	digital compositor
Alberto Montañés	....	rotoscope artist
Mike Pope	....	digital compositor
Martin Preston	....	CG R&D programmer
Chris Ryan	....	CGI supervisor: MetroLight Studios
John Seymour	....	visual effects editor: Double Negative
Matthew Shaw	....	video editorial
Sarah Soulsby	....	digital compositor: Double Negative
Ileana Stravoskiadi	....	digital artist
Jonathan Stroud	....	R&D programmer: Double Negative
Aksel Studsgarth	....	digital artist
Åsa Svedberg	....	digital artist: Double Negative
Jerry Weil	....	digital artist: Metrolight Studios
Sheila Wickens	....	digital compositor: Double Negative (as Sheila Gorman)
Dimitri Delacovias	....	digital matte painter/supervisor: Double Negative (uncredited)
James W. Kristoff	....	executive in charge of production: MetroLight Studios (uncredited)
Natalie MacDonald	....	rotoscope artist (uncredited)
Julian Mann	....	texture programmer: Double Negative (uncredited)
Gustavo Sanchez-Perez	....	modeller (uncredited)
Dobbie Schiff	....	executive producer: MetroLight Studios (uncredited)
Clare Tinsley	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Giuliano Dionisio Vigano'	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Ben Bellman	....	stunts
Richard Bradshaw	....	stunts
Nick Chopping	....	stunts
Ben Cooke	....	stunts
Richard Dwyer	....	stunts
Bradley Farmer	....	stunt double: Sebastian knapp
Glenn Foster	....	stunts
Sy Hollands	....	stunts
Rowley Irlam	....	stunt double: Bruce Greenwood
Paul Jennings	....	stunt coordinator
Theo Kypri	....	stunts
Mike Lambert	....	stunts
Dominic Preece	....	stunts
C.C. Smiff	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
John Bailie	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Kelly R. Borisy	....	key grip
Jeremy Braben	....	aerial director of photography
Leon Buckley	....	video operator: second unit
Danny Espey	....	electrician
Faye	....	focus puller: second unit
Fred Folmer	....	best boy grip
Alan Grayley	....	rigging electrician
Michael Green	....	focus puller
Pip Hare	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Andy Hopkins	....	key grip
Dylan Jones	....	camera trainee
Nikos Kalimerakis	....	best boy
Michael Kohnhorst	....	camera operator: second unit
Michelle M. Mann	....	assistant camera: second unit
Vince McGahon	....	Steadicam operator
Vince McGahon	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Dean Morrish	....	underwater first assistant camera
Chris Mulsoff	....	set lighting
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Dan Schroer	....	camera loader: "b" camera, Michigan
Basil Smith	....	second assistant camera: additional photography
Gary Smith	....	grip
Norman Smith	....	gaffer
Peter Talbot	....	director of photography: second unit
Martin Versfeld	....	rigger: diver
Makiko Watanabe	....	assistant camera
Shawn White	....	lighting gaffer: second unit
Tony Rowland	....	crane grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Freddy Luis	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Annie Crawford	....	costume supervisor
Dave Croucher	....	costumes
Christof Roche-Gordon	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Tracy Adams	....	assistant editor
Mike Bellamy	....	senior digital film colorist
Gavin Buckley	....	first assistant editor
Emily E. Ellis	....	post-production assistant
Michael Hatzer	....	color timer
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Lionel Johnson	....	first assistant film editor: re-shoot
Robert C. Lusted	....	first assistant editor (as Bob Lusted)
Debs Richardson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mark Curry	....	scoring mixer
Melissa Deanne Ferguson	....	music editor
Geoff Foster	....	score recordist
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Gregg Nestor	....	music preparation (as Greg Nestor)
Joe Rangel	....	music supervisor
Randy Spendlove	....	executive in charge of music
Joshua Winget	....	music editor
Richard Ziegler	....	additional music editor

Transportation Department
Kurt Knudsen	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
John Adams	....	special military background
Daren Bailey	....	assistant marine coordinator
Daren Bailey	....	principal diving supervisor
Jules Baker-Smith	....	assistant to director
Camille Brown	....	assistant: David Twohy
Brian Cabildo	....	yo-yo instructor
Elizabeth Chambers	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Chloe Chesterton	....	set runner
Ian Creed	....	diving/marine coordinator
Linda Crook	....	assistant production coordinator
Michael Bruce Ellis	....	creative consultant
Hilary Fagg	....	script supervisor
Jonathan Flis	....	production assistant
Susie Ford	....	production coordinator (as Susie Ford Weismann)
Vincent J. Guastini	....	creature concepts
Andrew Haddock	....	video coordinator
Matt Hickey	....	production assistant
Harry L. Julian Jr.	....	diving/marine coordinator: Michigan (as Harry Julian)
Lance Julian	....	marine consultant
Harry L. Julian Sr.	....	marine consultant (as Harry Julian Sr.)
Kenny MacDonald	....	production assistant
Daniel McCormick	....	boat captain
Lee Murphy	....	diving supervisor
Maggie Phelan	....	production accountant
James Richardson	....	assistant accountant
Vail Romeyn	....	production coordinator
David E. Russo	....	programmer
David Ryan	....	special military background
Nina Saxon	....	title designer
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Rebecca Sutton	....	assistant coordinator
Mary Tallman	....	script supervisor
Tony Tucker	....	boat wrangler
Chris Velazquez	....	assistant production coordinator
Tonia Wright	....	assistant: Ms. Baden-Powell and Mr. Indig
Anthony Gore	....	post-production delivery (uncredited)
Marcel Valcarce	....	artist: main title (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dimension Films
• Protozoa Pictures

Distributors

• Miramax Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dimension Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (Australia) (2003) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Italia (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinergia (2003) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Humax Pictures (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• West (2003) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (BVHV) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• GAGA (2003) (Japan) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Imagem Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (2003) (Germany) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Special Effects

• Double Negative (digital visual effects)
• Ghost ApS
• MetroLight Studios (additional visual effects)
• Pacific Title Digital (additional visual effects and recording)
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• 2020 Casting  background casting
• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Castle Air  helicopters (as Castle-Air Ltd.)
• Global Music Service  music preparation
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Lyps Inc.  loop group (as Lypsinc)
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Motion Control Cameras  visual effects
• Nina Saxon Film Design  main and end titles designed by
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals (as Pacific Title & Art)
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  pager rentals
• Todd-AO Studios (West)  sound re-recorded at (as Todd Studios West)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Proteus (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:TE | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Lake Michigan, Illinois, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

Some filming for this movie took place on an actual WW2 submarine. The USS Silversides (which is available for tours) located in Muskegon Michigan was towed out into the middle of Lake Michigan where scenes with Bruce Greenwood were filmed. The Silversides had some minor re-painting done (rust coloration), but is now back to her original gray color. The rest of the sets and models used in this movie were all based on the look and layout of the Silversides.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: US fleet subs of that era were incredibly cramped and would not have contained as much leg and head room as the one depicted in the movie. The submarine set used for interior shots is built on a larger scale to accommodate both actors and the shooting crew.

Quotes:

Hoag: Three redcoats... and guess what? One of 'ems a bleeder!

Movie Connections:

Featured in An Unfinished Life (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)

Best unknown movie of the year so far

This was only playing at one cinema in my area (off my usual track) and when I saw it listed in the paper I thought "Wait, how did I miss that?" But it was rated R (always a plus for me; for one thing, an R rating means the F-word gets used at least twice, so it'll have at least that much realism) and I had read somewhere (probably on IMDB) that it was about submarines, so I thought I'd take a crack at it. My venture was well rewarded.

Set during World War II, an American submarine rescues 3 people on a liferaft, one of whom turns out to be a woman, news of which galvanizes the sub's crew, who seem to know every female slang term ("Brillo pad" was new to me). The movie pays tribute to the German "Das Boot," the best submarine flick ever, as the camera goes darting from one passageway to another as the crewmen are introduced. Then some odd things start occurring.

Helping to win me over was the sheer copiousness of period detail with all the 1940s technology used by the crew to run their boat plus their cigarettes, girlie pin-ups, phonograph records, a Yo-Yo, etc. The actors all rang true except for the young idealistic guy. Lots of great claustrophobic atmosphere; limited but effective use of a certain kind of special effect. One needs to pay attention, such as the mirror scene, where you might think "Is that image duplicating what the guy is doing, or not?" Slow but steady heightening of tension and development of otherwordly aspects. Delightful underwater renditions with plankton & manta rays cavorting. Some drawbacks: too much use of flashbacks, some of which may be "false" (Hitchcock used a false flashback once & always regretted it); too much action occurring off-screen, to where it calls attention to itself. There's a central flashback issue that seems to call for an awful lot of expository dialogue, some of which occurs when one would suppose the characters would be engaged with more pressing matters, such as running out of air.

Given how many other recent movies have cost a lot more money, been given much more ballyhoo but have had much weaker plot, characterization and atmosphere, it seems a shame "Below" must rely entirely on word of mouth, or keyboard. I won't claim I was on the "edge of my seat" throughout but I definitely "bought into" the situation. There's a really lovely closing shot, like a shorter & underwater "Koyaanisqatsi," that no one should find overly corny or contrived.

Bottom line: if you can't find this one in a cinema or reach it before it goes away, keep an eye out for video. The studio made a mistake just blowing the movie off, it deserves better.

In one scene we see a seaman with pet fish in a tank, a nice ironic touch.