Titanic: Disaster in the Atlantic
Titanic: Disaster in the Atlantic was the third of (eventually) nine films to depict the sinking of the infamous ship. Adapted from a play entitled "The Berg", this black-and-white movie was produced by British International Pictures, and directed by Ewald Andre Dupont -- much to the consternation of the White Star Line. Incidentally, two versions of the film were made at the same time: one in English, and one in German. It was released in November 1929 under the title Atlantic -- the name of the unlucky ship in this story.
After three-quarters of a century, the film quality is as good as can be expected. Like all productions of the period, the scenes are disjointed and suffer from film-makers who hadn't quite got used to the benefits of sound.
The collection of boring characters are played by people more accustomed to acting with their eyes, and thus the performances appear forced. The basic plot of Disaster in the Atlantic centres around an assortment of men trying to convince their women to board the lifeboats. Yet, the inane dialogue makes the story hard to follow.
The film features lavish (though inaccurate) art direction, and sound effects that are none too subtle. It is important to note that the costumes would suggest the film is set in 1929, and not 1912. Also, the collision with the iceberg -- which makes its entrance 20 minutes into the film -- is comical by today's standards.
Even once the ship begins to sink, the film doesn't manage to create any suspense, and the only action comes from the dramatic shots of the flooding boiler room, wireless room, staircase, bridge, and (fictitious) ballroom. While the deck and lifeboat scenes are of epic proportions, the film hits a figurative wall of ice every time the action shifts back to the clueless passengers congregated in the lounge.
Seemingly a requisite of Titanic dramatizations, though historically untrue, is the singing of "Nearer My God to Thee" by those left behind. Further, one antiquated and disturbing sequence depicts two black men who fight their way into a lifeboat and are subsequently shot. It is rather anti-climactic, then, when the film fades to black, rather than showing the actual foundering of the ship -- even if it had to be shot in a laundry tub.
Still, the 90-minute Disaster in the Atlantic offers a fascinating interpretation of the Titanic tragedy. There is also a brief though needless introduction by David McCallum (who played Titanic's wireless operator Harold Bride in 1958's A Night to Remember) recounting the basic facts of the Titanic legend...as if everyone didn't already know!
Rating: 3 out of 10. For fans of the romance between Kate and Leo: 0/10; for film historians: 6/10; for Titanic fanatics: 8/10.