Shooting a film is hard enough—trying to film it underwater is even more difficult. Making it look even remotely legitimate is almost impossible, but the following movies managed to create iconic underwater scenes through expert photography, clever lighting, smart editing, and outlandish special effects. So dive into the deep end and enjoy these spectacular otherworldly sequences.
The Deep (1977)
After Jaws, Robert Shaw made another aquatic-based thriller. In The Deep, a scuba-diving couple finds a shipwreck and among the detritus is a cache of small vials. Their discovery sets off a frenzy of criminals trying to get their hands on it. The film was shot in Bermuda and features a number of scenic and suspenseful submerged scenes. The production also used the world’s largest underwater set (at the time), built specifically for The Deep. It was also the first to use a newly-invented underwater lighting rig.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
What one assumes would just be a basic monster movie, is actually a thoughtful science fiction doomed romance. It also features a beautiful creature costume (designed by a woman) and some gorgeous underwater photography. It was even filmed in 3D, though few people were able to see it that way on its initial release. One has to imagine watching Gillman swim just underneath the unwitting Julie Adams would have been even creepier. The subaqueous scenes were filmed in the crystal clear waters of Wakulla Springs, Florida.
Dangerous When Wet (1953)
With any Esther Williams, it’s always fun to see what excuse the filmmakers have for getting her into a pool. A three-time U.S. National champion swimmer, Williams found her way onto the screen when Louis B. Meyer decided MGM needed its own athletic star. A number of her movies featured underwater scenes, but one of the most memorable is when she swam with Tom & Jerry. In Dangerous When Wet she is training to swim across the English Channel. During a dream sequence she performs an undersea ballet sequence with the animated cat and mouse.
Splash (1984)
In a twist on the selkie transformation myth, Daryl Hannah plays a mermaid curious about the world above. She finds a lost wallet belonging to Tom Hanks and decides to find the owner. It’s a sweet, unlikely romance, directed by Ron Howard and was a huge hit in 1984. The underwater scenes were filmed not in the East River (obviously) but in the Bahamas. Hannah’s mermaid tail was a working one, taking eight hours to put on, and she did her own swimming stunts. “It was a learning process on how not only to make it stay on and look seamless,” she said, “but to weigh it enough to get me below the surface but not so much that I’d sink to the bottom.”
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
A rollicking adventure based on the Jules Verne novel, this Disney adaptation stars James Mason, Peter Lorre, and Kirk Russell. With a mix of high production design, soundstage locations, and underwater sets, it’s a visual feast. Being that it takes place almost entirely on a submarine, there are a number of undersea segments. Watching people walk along the bottom of the ocean floor in old-timey diving suits is pretty great. Filmed primarily in the Bahamas and Jamaica, the famous giant squid fight was (re)shot on a studio backlot.
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
This fantasy extravaganza is inspired by the stories in 1,001 Nights. Released in 1924, it stars a gymnastic Douglas Fairbanks as a swashbuckling thief who completes various quests. The special effects are stunning and imaginative. There is something special about these early films that were still experimenting with the form. The underwater scene, where Fairbanks fights off a giant sea crab, is truly creative.
Finally, as we all know, the most iconic of underwater scenes is this one.
Originally written for DVD Netflix