Crimson Tide is a 1995 American submarine action film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It takes place during a period of political turmoil in the Russian Federation, in which ultranationalists threaten to launch nuclear missiles at the United States and Japan. It focuses on a clash of wills between the new executive officer (Denzel Washington) and the seasoned commanding officer (Gene Hackman) of a nuclear missile submarine, arising from conflicting interpretations of an order to launch their missiles. The title is derived from a play on words, invoking a former communist maritime threat, and the nickname of the University of Alabama is the Crimson Tide, the submarine in the film is named the USS Alabama.
The film was scored by Hans Zimmer, who won a Grammy Award for the main theme.