Skip to content
Dom Robinson reviews 
- Cert:
- Cat.no: 19937 RDVD
- Running time: 123 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 15 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English for the hearing-impaired
- Widescreen: 2.35:1 (J-D-C Scope)
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: None
Director:
- George Tillman, Jr.
(Men of Honour, Scenes for the Soul, Soul Food)
Producer:
- Bill Badalato and Robert Teitel
Screenplay:
- Scott Marshall Smith
Music:
- Mark Isham
Cast:
- Leslie W. Billy Sunday: Robert De Niro
Carl Brashear: Cuba Gooding Jr.
Gwen Sunday: Charlize Theron
Jo: Aunjanue Ellis
Mr. Pappy: Hal Holbrook
Snowhill: Michael Rappaport
Captain Pullman: Powers Boothe
Rourke: Holt McCallany
Isert: Joshua Leonard
Carl’s Father: Carl Lumbly
Carl’s Mother: Lonette MCKee
Men of Honour tells the story of Carl Brashear, played by Cuba Gooding Jr.
In the 1950s, to paraphrase one superior, blacks only had three choices in the US Naxy – “cook, valet or getting the fuck out of the Navy”, but Carl was determined to change all that by breaking all the rules and joining them so he didn’t end up like his father tilling the farmland for someone else. Making the first ever African-American Chief Master Diver in the US Navy, it’s a hard struggle including one time where he doesn’t exactly get the thanks he deserves when saving another diver from drowning, but rather a slap in the face, metaphorically speaking.
It’s one of those films where one man in a minority sets out to make a difference and in this case it’s a black man being dumped on with the hatred of the whites, all bar one – Snowhill (Michael Rappaport), the only white man who stands by him but as a result also gets to feel the wrath of Master Chief Diver Leslie W. Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro).
De Niro gets top billing as he throws in the same Southern accent he used in Cape Fear, while coming across as a mix of the drill sargeants portrayed by Louis Gossett Jr. in An Officer and a Gentleman and R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket, although Charlize Theron gets precious little to do as his young wife Gwen. Also in the underwritten roles come Aunjanue Ellis as Carl’s wife Jo, Hal Holbrook as Sunday’s superior Mr. Pappy and a brief turn from Powers Boothe who deserves more decent roles.
Overall, it’s not a film that’ll win many points for originality – especially since it’s a true story and so you know Carl will come out on top, but films like this hammer home the anti-racism message all the same way and when it’s made across the big pond, they throw in the “Goddamn, we’re so proud to be Americans”-style of bravado that makes you sigh. However, good performances in the main roles keep your interest and, as you’re renting it, it’s certainly worth a watch for most of the way.
Although a rental title, it’s still presented in the original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio and, quite frankly, it would be unwatchable without it as some scenes are obvious in their use of special FX and others are more subtle, such as one denoting when we come out of flashback, but I won’t reveal any of the details. The print looks a little hazy on some dark scenes but nothing major that you’d notice from the usual viewing distance.
The sound is in DD5.1 and while there’s no gunfire scenes that you might expect, the speakers get a good workout underwater and later on when there’s an accident on deck. It doesn’t last throughout the film like an actioner but when it’s called for you’ll not be disappointed.
Alas, as this is a rental DVD there are no extras – not even a trailer! This is daft since Fox released the same film for sale in the US on DVD back in April with extras including an alternate ending, deleted scenes, animated storyboards, featurettes and a music video.
There are 15 chapters, which isn’t enough for a two-hour film, subtitles in English for the hard of hearing and the menus are static and silent.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
0 OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.