A Glimpse of Hell

I was stationed on the USS New Jersey (BB-62) sister ship of the IOWA. Not only drinking beer on a Navy ship is prohibited, having it onboard is against the UCMJ.(Uniform Code of Military Justice). Since when does a First Class Petty Officer berth in a stateroom? These are just a couple of items which discredit this movie. I think the producers did well with the plot but know little about Navy life in general.

As a Navy veteran, I can truthfully say I was mightily impressed by the quality of this movie as well as its message. The producers seemed like they genuinely cared about the welfare of the ordinary sailors who man ships such as the Iowa. The fact that the Navy falsely implicated one of these sailors, who was no longer alive to defend himself, is appalling in and of itself. The fact that FX and the people who made this movie attempted to set the record straight, speaks glowingly about the state of movie-making these days.

Well worth watching.

I was on active duty in the US Navy at the time of the tragedy aboard USS Iowa, and can clearly recall the controversy surrounding the incident. Many unanswered questions remain to this day, but this film does a fine job of presenting the story. Outstanding performance by James Caan as CAPT Moosally. The scenes showing the firing sequences of the big guns are alone well worth the purchase price of the movie. There has never been, nor will there ever be a single piece of military armament as awe-inspiring and fear-inducing as the mighty 16-inch/50 caliber gun. The saddest day in naval history was the final decommissioning of the Iowa Class battleships. One small error to point out: during the opening few minutes of the film, a battleship is seen underway(at sea). The hull number of the ship is "63", which was the number of the USS Missouri - the "Mighty Mo" - not the Iowa.

This film vividly portrays the extent to which the male macho myth controls the military mentality. Youthful idealism is pitted against the false mask of professionalism. We see a literal dis-illusionment played out before our eyes -- and wish it were not so. We see loyalty used as an excuse for lying and prejudice -- and want to think these things can't really happen.

An excellent cast and clipped plotting provide us with a gripping tragedy which is all the more frightening because it is a true story of a decade-long cover-up and blatant homophobia. It is hard to believe that the military would lead a witch-hunt against one of its own men to cover its own ineptitude. But the facts are put before us in the shape of shredded, burned corpses. Telling the truth is condemned as ratting and snitching. Such is the paradox of 1984-style doublethink.

This film is a sobering look into the corporate mind, a grim revelation of the lengths people will go to hide from reality. I commend FX for being bold enough to present this sad tale in such an excellent film.

This is a morality tale of investigating a military cover up. An explosion aboard an aging battleship is covered up to save face for the Navy. Captain Fred Moosally(James Caan) agrees with his superiors that the fatal explosion that killed 47 is to be blamed on a homosexual rift between two sailors. LTJG Dan Meyer(Robert Sean Leonard)struggles to convince his captain that faulty equipment an gunpowder on board was the real cause of the tragedy. Meyer was considered disloyal until a congressional hearing forced the Navy to revise its findings.

Well scripted and kudos to director Mikael Salomon. This true life drama packs a punch. Special effects were a bit gruesome, but very essential focal point for the story.

Also in the cast are: Andrew MacVicar, James Bulliard and Jamie Harrold.