A Film so good that I'll have to review it twice!
This will make sense later- don't worry.
This is 1977's The Deep, the second Film adaptation of a Peter Benchley 1976 Novel. You all know the first, I assume. Amusingly, this was also the second BOOK that he wrote.
His third book, 1979's The Island, would be turned into his third Movie just a year later.
The Plot involves a Couple going out diving and finding a treasure that people will kill for! Will they get enough help from a local Treasure Hunter to get rich without dying first.
The Cast is notable here, as this Film made Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset into Stars. It also features Robert Shaw in his third to last Film role and Eli Wallach as he was reaching 'truly grizzled' status.
Lastly, it features Louis Gossett (no Jr here, for some reason) less than a Decade before he'd appear in a Jaws Sequel.
How is the Film? To find out, dive in...
A couple- Bisset and Nolte- go diving and see a wreck.
While diving, something yanks on the woman's stick- used to grab objects- and she freaks out, swimming up quickly.
By the way, she does this all while wearing a see-through white blouse. What an accident.
They find an old coin and a bottle, so they seek more information.
They are told by a local to talk to another man- Robert Shaw.
Nobody sees the Great and Mighty Shaw- not no one, not no how!
He doesn't offer lots of help, but it is something.
While driving back to the Hotel, they are pursued and then grabbed by some men.
They are working for Gossett, who earlier asked them about the bottle and offered to buy it.
Now he's not asking!
They meet back up with Shaw and go diving again.
They find more of the bottles- lots more!
What are they? They are tiny vials of morphine, left over from the wreck of a Nazi ship.
Drug dealers do like free drugs on the bottom of the Ocean!
There is more to find than just a Deep Sea Pharmacy though.
The jewelry seems to be of Spanish origin, which they find out by reading books and looking at old paintings.
This was life before Google, kids- shudder in fear!
They find enough of the vials to keep the drug dealers/criminals at bay, while dealing with the dangers of diving.
This includes a bunch of sharks hitting their air lines and nearly killing Shaw!
Shaw's man Coffin (Wallach) makes a deal with Gossett when he think that he's going to be short-changed.
Well, you are now!
He betrays the group and lets Gossett's main man inside.
He faces off with a never-before-seen man named Kevin...who's Robert Tessier...with HAIR?!?
He's killed and this leads to Shaw blowing up Coffin when he learns of the betrayal.
He says that they have one last chance to get the provenance to prove their treasure's worth- after that he's going to blow up the wreck!
A battle under the sea ensues between Shaw and Gossett, which leads to Giant Eel Ex Machina to save the day.
It was what grabbed Bisset earlier.
In an oddly non-70s ending, they get the treasure and all survive. The End.
A good Film, especially if you love Diving. In the promotion, they made odd claims about how much of the Film is on, around or under the water.
Did you need to know that 60% of the Film is aquatic? They sure thought so!
This Film was heavily promoted as well, getting a 'Making Of' TV Special, which another Film got that year- Star Wars!
All of this- plus Bisset in a wet t-shirt- worked with the Film outgrossing the other Film that came out that week-
Exorcist II.
Your mileage here may vary, as so much of the appeal here is seeing the Underwater Footage, which was a big thing in the '70s. It still looks great, but is it as exciting to us now with so much CGI?
Everyone acts well here, even if the Plot doesn't always leave time for them to react (or 'sell') the big events for too long. Bisset, for instance, is traumatized by the bad guys...for one Scene.
All in all, the Film is good. Director Peter Yates- of Krull fame- was a good fit. All it needs is a freeze frame ending. Perfect!
Next up, Fiction vs. Fiction returns with a bit of twist. Let me cover a Film and...its Comic Adaptation. Stay tuned...
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