cryowizard | On Crimson Tide

1. There are a few scenes where the officers berate and harass the crew as if they are still in boot camp (one guy is even ordered to do pushups for a laughing Lieutenant!). This is totally unrealistic as the prevailing relationship between officer and enlisted is one of professionalism. Hotheadedness, when it does happen, usually involves safety or a major disciplinary problem - NEVER "for fun."

2. The XO (Denzel) would never complain about or question the CO in front of the Weapons Officer or anyone else.

3. THE BIG ERROR: The situation of an ambiguous "launch recall" could NEVER happen. For reasons that should be all too clear after watching the film, recalling a nuclear launch order is simply not an option for the President. A nuclear war can easily be started no matter what percentage of missile operators get the order to launch, but obviously, a recall REQUIRES 100% communication, which is virtually impossible. Therefore, once the order to attack is given, it is considered irrevocable - and for this reason, the President must be very, very hesitant to give the order unless he intends to destroy the enemy. No in-between actions, such as "warming up the missiles" are considered possible or allowed because it is simply too dangerous. This isn't as bad as it sounds - this principle generally keeps heads cooler during international flareups and is a major component of Mutually Assured Destruction and nuclear deterrence. The President must never be allowed to carelessly toss around the option of nuclear attack UNLESS HE REALLY MEANS IT. Once the Genie is out, there's no going back.

4. In the mutiny situation (the US Navy is the only navy in the world that has never had a mutiny and frankly, it's unimaginable), Gene Hackman's character is the correct one, not Denzel. Although it appears that the Captain is a madman, he is following nuclear doctrine correctly - nuclear war is serious business and his job is to maintain a strategic deterrent by being mentally prepared to launch when given the order. However, as I just mentioned in point three, the overall situation that the crew finds themselves in is unrealistic to begin with, and so the conditions that create the mutiny would never happen. Basically, the U.S. does not allow this degree of ambiguity to ever creep into our nuclear strategy. It's either launch or don't launch - there is no in-between.