Probably, not many people remember James Cameron's summer blockbuster The Abyss, which was released to critical acclaim in August of 1989. While it received high praise for its special effects, close-quarters tension among the hapless crew of protagonists, and enrapturing plot, my own personal experience with it left me much less charmed and much more disappointed.
Also legendary are the stories of the principle cast, which involve months of grueling filming conditions working with and around numerous very dangerous sets and effects. The shot-callers also are described as being uncaring or neglectful of the basic needs of their employees. Reportedly, many of the cast and crew collapsed into sobbing fits or resorted to destroying furniture as a result of their deteriorating mental states. Personally, in experiencing the Abyss I can truly say that I've never felt colder or more alone, while simultaneously shouldering an indescribable amount of pressure pushing on all sides. The final minutes of the film stand out as some of its most criticised. In the words of numerous reviewers, Cameron dives recklessly into the fantastic aspect of the story. By introducing some downright unearthly sentience in the deep dark, he apparently bends his audience's suspension of disbelief too far and breaks the spell. Instead of some mysterious aliens driving the story, in my own experience with the Abyss there were only some docile, albeit ghoulish seafloor dwellers. While the 1989 public may have felt let down by the distasteful handling of the ending, The Abyss left me in the dark, utterly crushed.
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January 2022
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