During the early American involvement in WWII, the "Black Pit" refers to the Mid-Atlantic gap where Allied convoys are left without air cover. They are at the mercy of the German submarine wolfpack. Commander Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks) captains the American destroyer USS Keeling, codenamed Greyhound, on his first convoy leading three other warships and many slow moving transport ships.
Tom Hanks is our Jimmy Stewart. He is our everyman and that's why he is so effective. He's not a superhero or a super-fighter. He is a regular man of real internal strength and integrity. This movie is trying to be simple, realistic, and matter of fact. It mostly achieves it by not explaining the military jargon and allowing the audience to figure it out. My biggest issue is the sound design. It's trying too hard especially the whale noise coming with the German submarines. Quite frankly, they are the wolf pack and a wolf growl would fit better. I wouldn't even do that. Silence is more threatening. Another minor issue is the girlfriend. The scene is unnecessary and clunky. It's similar to Cast Away. At this point, he might as well try Rita Wilson. At least, that would be fun for them. Overall, Tom Hanks sells this stripped down war movie. He's the captain now.
