There’s plenty of action and adventure in the ocean-bound film “The Deep.” Director Peter Yates (“For Pete’s Sake” 1974) keeps the pace on an even keel, with the result being that the audience is entertained for the entire two hours of “The Deep.” The screenplay by Peter Benchley and Tracy Keenan Wynn is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Benchley, who also penned a 1974 novel called “Jaws.”
Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte play a couple who go scuba diving while on holiday in Bermuda, where they discover valuable artifacts in shipwrecks. The pair are joined by Robert Shaw, a local treasure hunter. Trouble begins when a local thug (Louis Gossett Jr.) gets wind of their activities and wants a piece of the action. Eli Wallach is also on board as Shaw’s assistant; his loyalties are not clear.
The picture was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound, and the theme song “Down Deep Inside” was a hit on the international charts, performed by Donna Summer and composed by John Barry (of the James Bond series), who also wrote the film’s score.
Cinematographer Christopher Challis took advantage of Bermuda’s natural beauty, and of Bisset’s pulchritude as well. Upon its release, there was much publicity surrounding the opening scene featuring Bissett underwater wearing only a white T-shirt and a bikini bottom. This only adds to the fun and watchability of “The Deep,” a big hit at the box office for EMI Films, Casablanca FilmWorks, and Columbia Pictures.
The Deep (1977)
cinema
My Review
There’s plenty of action and adventure in the ocean-bound film “The Deep.” Director Peter Yates (“For Pete’s Sake” 1974) keeps the pace on an even keel, with the result being that the audience is entertained for the entire two hours of “The Deep.” The screenplay by Peter Benchley and Tracy Keenan Wynn is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Benchley, who also penned a 1974 novel called “Jaws.”
Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte play a couple who go scuba diving while on holiday in Bermuda, where they discover valuable artifacts in shipwrecks. The pair are joined by Robert Shaw, a local treasure hunter. Trouble begins when a local thug (Louis Gossett Jr.) gets wind of their activities and wants a piece of the action. Eli Wallach is also on board as Shaw’s assistant; his loyalties are not clear.
The picture was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound, and the theme song “Down Deep Inside” was a hit on the international charts, performed by Donna Summer and composed by John Barry (of the James Bond series), who also wrote the film’s score.
Cinematographer Christopher Challis took advantage of Bermuda’s natural beauty, and of Bisset’s pulchritude as well. Upon its release, there was much publicity surrounding the opening scene featuring Bissett underwater wearing only a white T-shirt and a bikini bottom. This only adds to the fun and watchability of “The Deep,” a big hit at the box office for EMI Films, Casablanca FilmWorks, and Columbia Pictures.