A great movie that boils down the dramatic issues into two political challenges: The English class system; &, Man's hubris in not obeying the nature they are trying to command. With the latter, it is as if nature were out for revenge for anyone proclaiming anything indestructible and, particularly a ship, unsinkable. Much the same could be said about the present revolt of nature against the over exploitation of a resource laden earth running out of those very resources.
Stiff upper lips are in evidence here but so too is the fear (& the desire to completely succumb to that fear) that lurks behind them. Especially the fear of the passengers panicking when they realize there are not enough lifeboats for them all and the resultant potential need for firearms to control them. The sheer humanity of this story overwhelms the imagination and is nothing short of heartbreaking as wives are separated from husbands; children from parents during the ship's final hour afloat. One is alternately amazed at the quiet courage shown by many and disappointed by the cowardice shown by some; leaving one to wonder into which camp we should finds ourselves belonging should it happened to us.
The quiet stoicism of those who bravely face the inevitable is all the more moving for its quietness. Like all human disasters, it brings out the absolute best in people as well as the worst; while exaggerating their eccentricities. By deftly painting the characters in broad strokes through the expert screenwriting of Eric Ambler, the plot is clearly and efficiently rendered; making these characters into archetypes rather than mere stereotypes. This avoids mere tear jerking and takes us back to Greek myth and tragedy in their being characters that we can still relate to as if they were all too real. We are only told enough to either loathe or love them, nothing more; nothing less – so that the whole edifice is not destroyed by overblown melodrama.
By far the best film about the titanic disaster ever made or will probably ever be made. The talent in every department here is truly outstanding and it is impossible to find any significant flaws in this almost perfect production. It has not dated and the way in which the disaster unfolds is a model of how films like this should still be made.
Copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.
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