In it's original form The Abyss is an absolutely brilliant film. I cannot begin to explain how different my viewing experience of the Special edition was from the severely truncated theatrical version. To sum it up, the special edition is a richly thematic and far more resonant experience, the difference between a good movie and a truly great film. Perhaps Cameron spends too much time in the beginning of the picture explaining the technology and how it works but I believe that knowledge only helps one immerse themselves into the world of the characters. The Abyss is actually three films; a technological thriller, a love story, and a lesson in basic morality. This is definitely a movie that warrants your full attention since the details are so vastly important to the whole that if you were to step out for five minutes (which no one should ever do!) you would become completely lost. This film has some of the most amazing scenes I have ever seen in film, and they are quite diverse. One would have to be the scene where Linsday chooses to drown and be taken back to the rig by Virgil...the real human element of that scene that struck me was when the water level started to rise over her neck, she doubts that it was a good idea. I can feel her fear as she desperately tries to keep her head above the rising water. Immediately following is the scene where Virgil revives Lindsay, screaming for her to fight while everyone else thinks he is crazy for trying to bring back what appears to be Linsday's corpse. That entire scene is so gut wrenchingly emotional that it's a good thing that there are a few quiet scenes afterward...we need to catch our breath, but then this also has to do with Cameron's storytelling, he knows we do too. The biggest moments of goose bump inducing awe that this film gave me came only from the special edition...the whole reason for the NTI's being there is explained and the reason they didn't go through with using the wave to wipe out mankind was because of Bud's own self sacrifice. It's hard to comment on a movie you love without getting incoherently jumbled, but this one will always be special to me because it does one thing that many films these days do not: it makes me feel something.
Review of The Abyss
