On April 10th, 1912, RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage. On her fourth night at sea she struck and iceberg and sank with the loss of 1,500 passengers and crew. The film faithfully depicts the drama, heroism and horror of the night the unsinkable sank.
Directed by
Roy Ward Baker
Written by
Eric Ambler (screenplay); Walter Lord (book).
Starring
Kenneth More (Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller); Ronald Allen (Mr. Clarke); Robert Ayres (Maj. Arthur Peuchen); Honor Blackman (Mrs. Liz Lucas); Anthony Bushell (Capt. Arthur Rostron (Carpathia)); John Cairney (Mr. Murphy); Jill Dixon (Mrs. Clarke); Jane Downs (Mrs. Sylvia Lightoller); James Dyrenforth (Col. Archibald Gracie); Michael Goodliffe (Thomas Andrews); Kenneth Griffith (Wireless Operator John 'Jack' Phillips); Harriette Johns (Lady Richard); Frank Lawton (Chairman J. Bruce Ismay); Richard Leech (First Officer William Murdoch); David McCallum (Assistant Wireless Operator Harold Bride). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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The True Cost of Complacency
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Unlike the sentimental claptrap that was James Cameron's romanticised version of the 'Titanic' story, in which the overall message is one of letting go of past loves, or something vague like that. Roy Ward Baker puts the emphasis more on the complacency of the majority of those involved with this fateful voyage. Anyone having seen the 1997 film will see a few familiar characters in A Night to Remember, not least the amusing drunk cook, the Second Officer, and the Irish commoner who falls for a fellow passenger. But throughout this film, the characters carry an added humility and authenticity not present in the latter film. Kenneth More turns in a commendable and compassionate performance as the Second Officer charged with organising the operation to get the passengers off of the ship. The captain and officer on RMS Carpathia, the ship that heard the Titanic's distress call and set course to help, truly capture the horrific significance and tragedy of the disaster unfolding, merely through their sorrow at not being able to get there any faster. There are several mentions and depictions of prayer throughout the film, which also adds a humble authenticity; even if for some the option is quite casually either "prayer or a cup of tea". I know which one I'd chose in such a situation. If there's one anomaly, it's that although the focus throughout the film is on the complacency of those involved (from the designers to the passengers), the film finishes with words telling us that the passengers' loss was not in vain, as now every ship is fitted with life boats, and there are several other safety measures in place too. This is as if to say "so it won't happen again". But that aside, this is a film worth watching and deserving of being rated much more highly than the 1997 film ‘Titanic’, by any film critic with an ounce of credibility.
