The new movie Deepwater Horizon is an awesome, gripping, well-told drama about the destruction of an oil rig that lead to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
On April 20, 2010, the Transocean offshore drill rig Deepwater Horizon exploded in a fireball that could be seen miles away. 11 men were killed, there were others injured. Some of the survivors jump into the water, which is coated with burning gasoline. Others manage to get into lifeboats.
It’s not a documentary. That’s pointed out in the end credits. It doesn’t matter. All the film’s abbreviations and time compression changes don’t detract from the powerful story.
The first two thirds of Deepwater Horizon setup the explosion. The film starts with underwater scenes where the drill rotates and pressure begins to blow out rivets. It’s mesmerizing; it’s not unlike if you watched the iceberg slowly move towards the Titanic. Everyone knows what is going to happen but you can’t take your eyes off it.
We see the situation on the oil platform through the eyes of Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) who arrives back for his normal shift along with Jimmy “Mr. Jimmy” Harrell (Kurt Russell), a skeptical rig man. Through them, the movie does a good job of explaining the science of oil drilling at the heart of the story.
For people who are maybe unfamiliar with a drilling rig, it’s an impressive construction. It towers over the placid sea, and all the machinery looks powerful, strong and unbreakable. The rig has been leased by British Petroleum (BP) and their men, led by Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich), are eager for it to be certified. Hall has an uneasy feeling despite the positive results. He orders more tests.
There are other problems on the rig. When asked by Vidrine about safety, Williams says there are “390 pieces down” which were “10% of the equipment on the rig.” Among the problems are a broken telephone system, and faulty smoke alarms.
Everyone is settling into their work shifts as the tests continue. At one point, Harrell is given an award for years of safety at the Deepwater Horizon. The BP men insist on a commemorative photo.
The irony with what is coming is clear.
The drill explodes underwater. The mud comes up and traps the men next to the drill. It’s not just mud, it’s everything that is bad for the men who try to help each other get away.
The explosions seem to go on forever. You are stunned into silence because while you may not know the characters’ names, you know their faces; and you aren’t sure who is going to live or die. You never really get to know them by name, except for Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) who helps operate the rig.
There are several attempts to cap the well. They all fail. The natural gas goes up the riser, out the top and, then in a blinding flash, it explodes. Shrapnel and broken glass go flying, slicing into the men, into the walls, everywhere. It becomes an incredibly gritty story of courage and loyalty.
I came away with a few quibbles. The dialogue isn’t always clear because of the accents. The destruction is shown in fast clips making it hard to tell what is going on, especially when half the actors are covered with oil and mud and you can’t see their faces.
All that really doesn’t matter in the end. Deepwater Horizon is a wonderful movie. The end credits step into reality. They are from actual footage of the Congressional Hearings held on the issue. They name the eleven dead and show their photogra
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