Nakedly militaristic propaganda made by a military-entertainment complex secure in its sense of victory in the interregnum between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the USSR. But terrifically well-made nakedly militaristic propaganda. John McTiernan provides a masterclass in creating tension out of confined locations especially the submarine sets (built on hydraulic gimbals to simulate the sub tilting!). But even the non-submarine scenes have a cramped look as if the rooms themselves are closing in on the protagonists. A collection of incredible actors at the top of their game with Scott Glenn and Sam Neill both doing amazing work. Zooming in on Political Officer Putin’s mouth as a way to signify transition from spoken Russian to spoken English in the Red October scenes is such a fun device for a practical purpose.