Captain Skip Beard, listed as a Technical Advisor, served as the Commanding Officer of the real USS Alabama (SSBN 731). He can be seen in the Board of Inquiry scene. He is the man with no hair sitting next to Jason Robards.

Al Pacino was originally offered the role played by Gene Hackman. Warren Beatty was also interested in the movie and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer went through a long period trying to convince him to sign on, before all parties moved on.

The name of the submarine is the "Alabama." The University of Alabama's football team is called "The Crimson Tide," once led by famous coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. In the film, "Bear" is the name of the Alabama's captain's dog.

Quentin Tarantino was brought in to do uncredited "punch-ups" of the dialogue. His major contribution was the comic book bickering. The character name "Russell Vossler" is a reference to Rand Vossler, with whom Tarantino used to work at a video store. See also Pulp Fiction (1994).

Robert Towne and Steven Zaillian also contributed key scenes. Towne wrote the "Von Clausewitz" scene, having to do with the essential nature of war.

Jason Robards, who plays the admiral in the inquiry scene, actually served in the Navy during World War II and received the Navy Cross.

There is another USS Alabama, a WWII battleship, permanently docked at Mobile Bay, Alabama, that serves as a museum.

The set used for the bridge of the USS Alabama was also used as the USS Georgia's bridge in Independence Day (1996).

The dockside scene where Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) addresses the crew shows the USS Alabama in the background and, after his speech, the crew runs onboard. The sub was actually USS Barbel (SS-580), a conventionally-powered (i.e. non-nuclear) attack submarine originally commissioned in 1959. The sail ("conning tower") is a plywood mock-up that generally matched the real Alabama's. Barbel's original sail not only looked different but had already been removed (the Barbel was about to be scrapped).

Before the crew loads the submarine, they do the "Roll Tide Roll" which is done before and during all the Alabama Crimson Tide games.

The U.S. Navy found the subject of the film objectionable and inaccurate. It refused to provide any assistance in the movie's making. Since the U.S. Navy would not cooperate with the filming, for several scenes the French Navy allowed the use of one of their Triomphant Class ballistic missile submarines along with the aircraft carrier Foch.

Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer originally offered Val Kilmer one of the headlining roles but he declined. Years later Kilmer noted it was one of the few films that he wished he had agreed to be in. The role offered to Kilmer by Simpson and Bruckheimer was never formally specified.

Reportedly Tony Scott used four cameras simultaneously for at least a few scenes.

Tony Scott obtained footage of the real USS Alabama departing Pearl Harbor through possibly illegal means. A paid civilian informant tipped off Scott to the day and time of Alabama's sortie from port, an obvious violation of navy ship movement regulations. Scott then had camera boats and a helicopter on standby to film the surfaced sub. Reportedly, the Alabama's captain requested assistance to remove the film crew but then simply decided to submerge the sub prematurely, footage Scott was hoping to obtain anyway. Although the Navy issued a formal protest about using its equipment in the film without permission, it was not illegal as the sub was in public view, and they could do nothing to prevent it. Interestingly, Scott was hoping only to obtain footage of an Ohio class sub in motion on the surface, the fact that the boat was the actual USS Alabama was sheer coincidence.

The "Sonar" panels constantly depicted in the film are completely false. The movie versions off a dumbed down pseudo radar screen, complete with a sweeptrack and bears absolutely no resemblance to a broadband passive sonar display. This was done to give the audience a more visual feel for the otherwise auditory science of Sonar operation.

When Lt. Hunter is relieved of duty, Cpt.Ramsey says "Get Lt. Zimmer in here!" Hans Zimmer composed the films soundtrack and his name was added to the script to pay him honor.

According to a Don Simpson interview, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise were also considered for the role that went to Denzel Washington.

Andy Garcia was one of the early choices for the role later taken by Denzel Washington.

Tommy Lee Jones passed on the part later taken by Gene Hackman.

Ryan Phillippe's feature film debut.

Robert Towne received an urgent call from producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer one night regarding a key scene between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. They wanted Towne to rewrite the discussion on the nature of war between the two characters, thus setting up a more plausible potential for conflict for the remainder of the film. Such was the urgency of the situation; Towne had to literally dictate his rewrite over the phone to the producers as they recorded his words.

The refusal of an executive officer to agree in launching nuclear weapons due to a fragment order is based on a similar incident within the Soviet Navy. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet submarine B-59 attempted to infiltrate the US Navy blockade by running submerged. By doing so they had been out of contact for several days with Moscow at the depth they ran at. When US destroyers dropped signal depth charges to force the sub to surface, the Soviet captain, Valentin Grigorievitch Savitsky, believed war had broken out between the US and the Soviet Union. His sentiments were concurred by the on board political officer, Ivan Semonovich Maslennikov. However, Savitsky's second-in-command, Vasily Arkipov, who also was the flotilla commodore, refused. All three needed to agree before launching. Being out of contact for so long and with no clear orders, Arkipov convinced Captain Savitsky to surface and they found themselves surrounded by US destroyers. Their communication was reestablished with Moscow and they received orders to return home, thereby preventing nuclear war.

Continuity

The much-disputed EAM changes wording. The initial message fragment begins with "Nuclear Missile Launch..." before being cut off in the attack by the Akula soviet sub. The recovered message as shown in the climax of the movie begins with "Terminate Launch All Missiles..." They are ostensibly the same message, however had the initial message fragment begun with "Terminate" Capt. Ramsey probably wouldn't have been so gung-ho about firing his missiles, and there wouldn't be a movie.

Sometimes the propeller is turning clockwise, and sometimes it is turning counterclockwise. The sweptback design being a mirror image.

After the enemy submarine has fired two torpedoes, Cpt. Ramsey orders a sharp turn to portside. However, in the following exterior shot the Alabama is shown making a turn to starboard.

During the Alabama's dive, she is seen with her periscope deployed on the surface, with decks awash. There is a cut to an underwater shot from above, that shows her sail with all periscopes retracted, and their doors closed. In the next shot, the boat is fully submerged, with its scope deployed and visible cutting through the water.

The orientation of the oncoming torpedoes is always the same when shown on the sonar scope, yet the crew indicate that the torpedoes' course has changed drastically.



Factual errors

On 26 October, when Hunter briefs the officers after receipt of the first EAM placing forces at Defcon 3, he states the last time forces were at that level of readiness was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, "32 1/2 years ago". The Cuban Missile Crisis was ALSO in October, so no matter what year in which this film was set, there would be no half year involved. And, anyway, it was last ordered in 1973, during the Arab-Israeli War.

Boomers have two requirements while out on patrol: remain undetected and maintain communications. They carry as many radios as they do missiles. There is ALWAYS a backup should one fail.

When Ramsey yells at Hunter in front of the crew, he could have been detained right there under UCMJ article 133 which is Conduct Unbecoming. When he strikes Hunter at the end, he would have been immediately detained under UCMJ article 128 for assault.

Several times in the movie it is stated that the Russian separatists would have to fuel the ICBMs they gained control of before being able to launch them. Prior to the development of solid propellant, ICBMs had to be stored dry because the liquid fuel corroded the missiles' fuel tanks. The time period in which the movie is set is around the year 1995, at which time, all American and Russian ICBMs used solid propellant. Thus, the missiles were stored with fuel already in their tanks, making pre-flight fueling unnecessary. Therefore, if the Russian separatists gained control of the launch codes, the missiles could have been launched immediately.

The XO is informed that the fire in the galley could not be extinguished because "the switch was too hot". The galley is equipped with an APC (aqueous potassium carbonate) system for galley fires. It can be activated by pulling a ring next to the equipment, which is probably what they were talking about. However, there is also a remote activation switch outside the compartment and also the system is equipped with a fuse that melts at 360 degrees and automatically initiates the system. Since it was "too hot", the fire probably would have been put out long before the XO showed up. Either way, no one would have to go anywhere near the fire to extinguish it.



Incorrectly regarded as goofs

The captain has a dog. Having a pet on a submarine would not conform to any Navy regulation. There may have been pets on subs in WWII, but nowadays that would be (1) cruel to the animal and (2) unsanitary to the crew. However, this matter is addressed early in the film, when Dougherty mentions to Hunter that Ramsey "takes that dog everywhere" and that "the Navy looks the other way because he's Ramsey," with Zimmer adding, "The Navy looks the other way because he's one of the few skippers left who's actually seen some combat."

Smoking is (or at least was, at the time of this movie) permitted on U.S. submarines.

Originally, US Navy submarines were named for fish and other sea creatures and US Navy battleships were named after states (like the WWII USS Alabama.) However, the naming convention for US naval vessels has changed. US Navy submarines are now named for both cities (fast attack boats) and states (ballistic missile boats.)

Naval officers were formerly allowed to use umbrellas only if they were being held by someone else. However, this rule has been changed.

An Ohio-class Trident Missile submarine would stand no chance against an Akula-class hunter-killer sub. The Akulas are faster, deeper diving, more maneuverable, and better armed. The Ohio is much quieter and has much better sensors, especially sonar, making the outcome not at all certain.



Revealing mistakes

During the opening news report aboard the French carrier Foch, the reporter states that "these French planes are being readied...", but the very next image shows three U.S. F-14 Tomcats flying in a V-formation.

In several shots on the bridge of the Alabama, the various coiled cables are not hanging straight down. The camera was tilted to increase the Alabama's apparent angle of dive beyond the actual angle of the set.

As Captain Ramsey reviews Hunter's record after being detained; the form has a box labeled "Negro" checked. The form is quite out of date as it's highly unlikely the Navy would have used such terms in the nineties, especially for one's service record.

When Cmdr Hunter orders the bilge bay to be sealed (notwithstanding the fact that there is no "bilge bay" on a missile submarine), the crewman waits until seawater is gushing up through the hatch opening. It is very unlikely that the hatch could have been sealed against that kind of water pressure.

Missile control is located just aft of and one platform below the Sub Control room, Underneath the navigation center. During the scene in which Hunter disrupts the missile firing by removing the firing key in the nick of time then rushes to control, there is a shot showing Ramsey heading aft on the lower platform in the Missile Compartment, Hunter is standing on the upper platform looking down as Ramsey and his supporters head aft to Missile control. In reality, Ramsey has already passed missile control, as the Missile compartment is aft of both the control room and missile control.



Miscellaneous

Captions are shown reading, (e.g.) 1800 Zulu Time. Although referred to as Zulu Time, the information should simply be written as 1800 Zulu.

Throughout the film, Denzel Washington's character is seen wearing what is presumed to be his ring from Annapolis on his right hand. Graduates of a service academy nearly always wear their ring on the left hand. It is seen as a badge of high honor afforded only to the few who attain that status.

When the Akula submarine is detected, Rivetti designates the submarine as 'Master 28'. A contact that is only detected on the sonar would be designated as 'Sierra'. A master designation indicates that the contact is detected on more than 1 sensor, which while a submarine in underwater can only be sonar.

On the cover of the unrated extended version the submarine appears to be the USS Silversides (SS-236), a WWII-era sub launched in 1941, and not the USS Alabama (SSBN-731).

When Capt. Ramsey goes back to his room after losing command of the ship he starts going over LT Hunters service records which lists the Naval Bases he was assigned out of in the past. One of the Naval Bases listed is Groton, Connecticut. They mistakenly abbreviate Connecticut as "CN". The correct abbreviation for the state is "CT".



Crew or equipment visible

Reflected in the mirror on the door of Hunter's stateroom when COB shuts the door leaving.



Plot holes

Several times throughout the film, the importance of launching their missiles before the Russian missiles have been fueled is stressed. But in reality, they would have had to launch the missiles well in advance of that deadline in order to strike their targets before the Russian missiles could be launched, otherwise the missiles would simply pass each other in the air.

The message that orders terminating the missile launch is initially interrupted by one of the Russian Akula-class submarines in rebel hands, which leads to the subsequent conflict aboard the USS Alabama. However, when they eventually recover the full original message, it reads "Unconditional surrender of all Russian rebel military forces. Rebel submarines recalled". That means that by the time the message was sent, the rebel forces had surrendered, including the submarines. So the rebel Akula-class submarine shouldn't have been chasing and attacking US submarines at that point, according to the original message, and therefore that message wouldn't have been cut and all the following conflict would not have happened.

The main question is about whether or not to launch the missiles, taking onto consideration the second EAM that was partially received. However, having received an initial order to launch, they would not have required a second order confirming that action. So that means the dispatch of an additional message strongly signifies the possibility that the launch was to be cancelled. It is therefore the captain's obvious duty to confirm the content of that second message, and not to do so would be gross dereliction of duty.

The result of the hearing is unbelievable. Ramsey should not retire honorably and Hunter should not easily get his next command. A sailor died under Ramsey's sudden missile drill. Ramsey threatened the life of a sailor in the missile department. He also verbally and physically assaulted Hunter towards the end. Meanwhile, the submarine nearly sank under Hunter's watch and several sailors died while saving the boat. Both men's armed teams threaten sailors. Other officers and sailors were not disciplined. For example, Dougherty, overstepped his authority, punishing a sailor who could not answer his question not relating to a Navy issue. Zimmer also verbally assaulted a crew member. Rivetti physically assaulted Bennefield while the COB and others restrained and gagged Bennefield. The hearing furthermore should take months or a year to complete, given the severity of the whole issue - nearly launching a nuclear strike and attempted mutiny.

There is no reason to deploy a boomer submarine from the West Coast to attack the missile silos in Russia. The US already has many boomers and attack subs patrolling that are much closer and ready to strike within a moment's notice.



Character error

On the bus prior to departing for the sub, the character Lt. Dougherty barks at a sailor for failing to address him as sir and orders him to stand at attention. While this is not inappropriate, ordering him to drop and do pushups is most definitely inappropriate. Superior officers, commissioned or non-commissioned, are never permitted to arbitrarily punish subordinates with physical exercise such as a basic training drill instructor would do. This is considered abusive treatment, an illegal order, and the subordinate is not obligated to obey. Further, the officer can be reprimanded for misusing their authority.

When the Captain conducts his first interview of his new executive officer (XO), the Chief of the Boat is present. This is highly irregular and unlikely to occur because the Chief of the Boat is an enlisted man. As a subordinate to the XO, the Chief of the Boat's presence during this interview is improper and violates protocol. However, given Capt. Ramsey's eccentric nature, particularly where protocol is concerned, it seems within character.

As Captain Ramsey is addressing the crew before the patrol, he refers to the Chief of the Boat as "Mr. COB". In real life the COB would not be referred to as "Mr." That title is for Commissioned or Warrant officers only.

Several characters, especially Captain Ramsey, refer to the submarine as a "ship." Traditionally, a submarine is referred to as a "boat," with the term "ship" being reserved for vessels that travel on the surface of the water.

The sub commander in "Run Silent, Run Deep" is Clark Gable, not Cary Grant.