This is a fictionalization of the Russian submarine disaster that made world-wide news. Adapted from a book, the story runs in multiple alternating stories. Matthias Schoenaerts stars as the submarine officer who has to keep the survivors alive. Léa Seydoux co-stars as his wife, battling for information from the naval authorities who are stonewalling. Colin Firth has a bit part as a British officer, representing the international offers for help. Meanwhile, the severely underfunded Russian navy has only one ill-maintained rescue vessel, and, for political or other reasons, is resisting offers to help from various NATO countries.

The underwater scenes were suitably claustrophobic. While different (sometimes under-trained) crew members exhibited different reactions, there was general camaraderie, as also shown in an early sequence where various underpaid crew members sell their watches to help finance a colleague's wedding.

A significant bit part is the young son of Matthias Schoenaerts' character, who opens the movie practicing holding his breath underwater - a skill needed for future naval / submarine work. The kid represents the children of the whole crew.

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was surprised to see that Kursk was in English. The director reasoned that he didn't speak Russian, and the film was about various communities coming together, something that was more universal than it being just a Russian story.

Note that I am reviewing this as a movie, not as to whether this is a complete historical document.

This film was excellent in every aspect. Directing by Thomas Vinterberg was amazing (except for the annoying black edges at the start and end of the film - why?). Writing/screenplay by Robert Rodat was great. Cinematography near perfect. Casting was outstanding - as were the performances by all. The score/music was bang on. S/VFX were perfect. My only critique is that the almost 2 hour length felt longer due to some slow pacing issues. Otherwise, an excellent film that leaves an uneasy feeling in your stomach, knowing that this film is based on actual events. A well deserved 9/10 from me.

The movie is really good, but it does not tell the whole story.

The director explains it by telling that he wanted to show the humanity of the Kursk's crew members from one side, and the bureaucracy of the upper military officials on the other side. And that he wanted to leave the politics out of the movie.

In my opinion, the director missed one important fact from the Kursk's story. As you know, the sailors in Russia are drafted to serve in NAVY. And many of them are not willing to sacrifice their lives for sake of competition between superpowers. This movie misses the fact that sailors in one sinking compartment heavily beaten their officer who closed the door between the compartments, thus preventing them to escape from the doomed compartment. This fact was discovered by investigators after reading the note found on the drown officer. I think, this fact should have been reflected in the movie, too.

The second important fact is that all families of dead sailors received, first time in the history, serious monetary compensation (ten-year salary) and apartment for living in major Russian cities. And almost all of them accepted this compensation, and we cannot blame them for that!