The top mistakes in Crimson Tide http://www.moviemistakes.com/film310 en Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:55:02 +0000 1928 In the scene where the Captain (Gene Hackman) is getting ready to address the crew, the Chief of the Boat (an enlisted man) is briefly shown barking orders to the crew wearing a combination cover with an officer's golden chin strap. A Chief Petty Officer wears a black chin strap. Contrary to popular belief, it's not illegal to wear an accurate uniform on film, in fact the military offer their help to ensure uniforms are accurate: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=516, so that's not the reason. 1933 After the submarine is hit by the first missile, all the crew are picking up things that have fallen down in the underwater turbulence. Then when the captain returns to his personal cabin, all his belongings (most noticeably on his desk) are all in position as though the attack never happened. 16642 As the Alabama dives for the first time you will notice that the periscope and antennae masts protruding from her conning tower keep switching from up to down, indicating that the film crew used footage from two different sub dives to achieve that sequence. 99831 At one point, the US sub's starboard (right) side is shown to have an American flag painted on the hull near the bow. The flag's blue field is at top/left when on this side of any vehicle, it should be at top/right. Proper display of the flag requires the blue field always be located 'forward' of the remainder of the flag on all vehicles, be they plane, boat, tank or even space shuttle. 99828 After the first torpedo attack, it is explained to the XO that the last EAM was cut off when the radio buoy's cable was severed in the attack. An outside shot shows the rear of the sub traveling forward away from camera, with the frayed cable trailing from the top of the sub's hull at a slightly upward angle, and running beyond the rudder. In fact, what should really happen in the shot, is the cable will follow the surface of the hull because the flow of water around the sub would force it to. That would put the cable right into the propeller and cause all sorts of mayhem. This mistake could have been easily avoided by simply having had the cable cut shorter in the attack.