Saving the Titanic

I have to agree with many others here that this take on what happened with the sinking of the Titanic is both new and interesting. There were parts of it that felt and looked similar to the German version of 'Das Boot'. The pace, acting, detailed camera work and production are above average in their execution. Apart from a few 'unnecessary' scenarios (like the singing of 'Kelly'), and perhaps a bit too drawn out at times, the tension, grit and determination by these hard-working lowly crew members makes you realize how insignificant we truly are, despite the technology and expertise we have, against natural forces. The inclusion of factual narration that brought out new (to me at least) facts about this event added to the entertainment and historical context in which it is forever set. A solid drama that shows another aspect of both the event and technical issues that led to this disaster. Worth watching!

Well written, well directed, excellent in every craft area. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. The acting is especially good, as is the casting, and the cinematography is gorgeous. I especially loved the story of the chief engineer and his son, but all of the stories were well told and the ending was perfect.

It seems to be accurate and well-documented. It tells the stories of the men who were heroes and made great sacrifices and whose names deserve to be known.

I don't agree that it is slow starting. I thought every second of it was fascinating. But full disclosure: I've always been a disaster junkie and I became fascinated with the story of the Titanic long before it was trendy.

I concur with L.K.'s review of 11/4/12 and awarded the highest rating accordingly.The two outstanding characters in this production are chief engineering officer Joseph Bell and leading fireman Frederick Barrett.The producers have highlighted the crew below decks, mainly the electricians who bravely kept the lights on until the last moment and the stokers/firemen who fed the many boilers to provide the power.Both historic characters are famous in their own way.Joseph Bell who made a sagacious remembrance comment from his childhood about the Danish king Canute, from British history, who did not believe his courtiers' flattering comments that he was more powerful than nature by having the power to turn back the waves.Meanwhile Frederick Barrett was one of the few survivors to give testimony to the official enquiry about how the sinking affected the men under his control in the boiler room.

Although "A Night to Remember " (1958) was excellent with scenes of life in the engine/boiler rooms, this production concentrated more on the personalities of the afore-mentioned electricians and stokers and firemen, most of whom were not saved. and produced in a modern docudrama style with no Hollywood stars getting in the way.One actor I did recognise was the Northern Irish supervisor who played in another brilliant docudrama production about the birth of RMS Olympic & Titanic.

We are not talking here about a Hollywood blockbuster with mega-stars in a soap opera love story about the sinking of the Titanic. Far from it. This is really more of a behind the scenes docu-drama, offering a look at the struggles of the engineering and electrical crew on the great ship as they fight to keep Titanic afloat as long as possible so that more people can be saved, many sacrificing themselves in the process. It's a nice tribute, certainly mostly dramatized but believable, and it makes no real attempt to dazzle the viewer. It just tells the story.

It's slow starting, picking up with the Titanic undergoing sea trials before the beginning of her doomed voyage, and introducing us to the various characters, supposedly based on the testimony of one of the engineers to a tribunal set up in New York City, which is desperately trying to create heroes out of the disaster. We get a sense of the grandeur of the Titanic, but mostly we get a very believable sense of the hot and grimy work taking place deep in the bowels of the ship, as coal is shovelled and the engines are kept burning. The entire focus is on the engineering crew and a handful of electricians. We never see the rest of the crew and no mention is made of anyone else, although there are a handful of scenes including passengers. As the water pours in, you do feel the increasing desperation and your admiration for these men grows as they fight the odds.

There's a good depiction of religious tensions in this (the Protestant- Catholic rivalry in Ireland is very present) and we see the class divisions of the Titanic, not among the passengers, but among the crew themselves, who are segregated into increasingly less comfortable quarters depending on their jobs. All in all, it's a pretty straightforward account of a chaotic event, and of how people handled the chaos. (7/10)

This docu-drama focuses on the various struggles of the engineers, electricians and workers in the bowls of the Titanic. The struggles present in the film not only relate to the sinking of the ship, but also ethnic and religious tensions which were prevalent in 1912.

The best thing about this docu-drama is that it is extremely informative while being entertaining. The set is actually quite good considering its budget and that it is a release-to-TV film. Yes, there are cheesy parts to create a connection with the characters in the film, and no it does not offer the heart-wrenching story expressed in Cameron's 'Titanic'. But it sets out what is intended, to tell the untold story of those who fought and died to keep the Titanic afloat for more than an hour and a half than what was expected, saving countless lives.

The reason for giving this docu-drama an 8 is that it offers a good story, decent acting (for a release-to-TV film), good effects, and its educational aspect. Improvements in the acting and the omittance of certain unnecessary story development would have made this film even better.