Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis poster & wallpaper

Bob Gunton, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Dale Dye

True story of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, its crew's struggle to survive the sharks and exposure, and the captain's scape-goat court-martial.

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64 ratings

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Directed by: Robert Iscove

Release Date: September 29, 1991

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DVD Release Date: July 31, 2007

Stats: 10 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (10)

  • WitchfulThinking
    October 18, 2009
    WitchfulThinking
    ...( read more) Shark
    Mission of the Shark (1991) (TV)
    Directed by Robert Iscove
    With Stacy Keach, Richard Thomas and David Caruso.

    Reason #1197 not to get mixed up with the military. This rather sterilized made for TV movie is the story of the final days of the U.S.S. Indianapolis which delivered the atomic bomb dropped on Japan. It was torpedoed and sunk on its return voyage. The survivors of the sinking spent 5 days slowly dying of thirst, injuries, and being terrorized and devoured by sharks.

    This was due to criminally negligent incompetence and stupidity on the part of Naval administration. Of course they covered their worthless asses just as rear echelon bastards always do. This was accomplished by witch hunting and scapegoating the ship's captain, Charles McVay (Keach), in a typical kangaroo Court Martial.

    316 men out of a crew of 1196 survived the ordeal, 300 having gone down with the ship. The story was treated by the press as a footnote to the end of WWII. This film only hints at the ordeal of the victims, the irresponsibility of and criminal cover-up by the Navy, and the impact the Navy's lies had on the remainder of McVay's life.

    TV's low budget and misguided broadcasting standards did not allow for upsetting subject matter to be graphically portrayed. Accordingly, Mission of the Shark did not go into much detail about the sharks and the crew's living nightmare dealing with the horror of being ripped apart and eaten alive one by one.

    This aspect of the disaster would be grist for a very grim remake of the movie. It is one of the most dramatic shark attacks that has made it to recorded history. Note to all you new-age shark lovers: read some interviews of the Indianapolis survivors the next time you want to pet and feel sorry for sharks. Go see Jaws and watch Robert Shaw's portrayal of Captain Quint recounting his experience in the water after the sinking of the Indianapolis in a chilling monologue. Idiots.

    For a proper dramatization of the Court Martial in detail, read or see John B. Ferzacca's play, The Failure to Zigzag. For more information setting the record straight, go to http://www.ussindianapolis.org/.
  • xxxcli213xxx
    December 15, 2008
    xxxcli213xxx
    no thanks not my thing

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