La guerre des abîmes

Inexplicably bad adaption of Clive Cussler's novel, the failure of this movie may be in its focus on an actual historical event. Most of Cussler's novels revolve around odd sinkings and lost-at-sea type events: perhaps this movie couldn't stand up to the scrutiny that accompanies any Titanic -based project. Richard Jordan is badly miscast (as is Jason Robards). Cussler's novels would make excellent Bond-type big budget movies in the right hands, but here Jerry Jameson and the writers managed to suck anything interesting out of Cussler's entertaining original work.

It was when I read the excellent novel, my mind changed. I used to think this was a wonderful film, when I read the book however, it was clear that so much excellent plotline and dialogue had been missed out that the film story was ruined. Plot lines about the Russians, spies, espionage, tracing the history of the miners and their efforts, what happened after the Titanic was raised but before it reached New York, all this would have made for a more in depth and excellent adaptation, instead the producers went for the big bucks spectacle and just concentrated on the Titanic itself which really is only a small part of the original novel.

It would have been better being properly done as a three part mini series or similar instead of this badly edited rushed nonsense.

There are good points about the film, some of the model work for the wrecked Titanic is excellent, especially when you consider when it was made but then again considering how much they spent on it, it should have been, however the seemingly cardboard cut out super imposed on the New York skyline at the end is terrible beyond description and oddly seems to be worse in the DVD version over the VHS version.

Thankfully saving this film from sinking completely was probably one of John Barry's finest non-Bond soundtracks, without that, this really would have become unbearable.

Sadly fact (the discovery of the Titanic for real) precludes any possibility of a decent remake which with good CGI could have been spectacular.

Ok, so Raise the Titanic isn't the greatest film ever made, but it's not the worst. Cussler was having Dirk Pitt raise the Titanic and save the world when Tom Clancy was still selling insurance. I wish the film makers had stuck closer to the book, which is part Titanic, part James Bond. It's as if they decided to take the (very) basic plot of the novel and spend about $50 million on a film that looked like about $1.99. The acting is fair considering the script Robards and Jordan had to work with. From an appearance stand point Richard Jordan is Dirk Pitt for me. I can see him in the part. It was just that the part wasn't written for one of Jordan's talent. Read the novel, rent the movie and compare the hatchet job Hollywood did on it. At least they would do better on the next major Titanic movie. Not much consolation to Clive Cussler I'm afraid, but hey that's show biz!

Strictly speaking, I found this to be acceptable entertainment. Its many detractors maintain that it's a poor, poor adaptation of the Clive Cussler novel. In fact, Cussler himself hated it so much that there would be no more adaptations of his work until "Sahara" in 2005. Does the execution of the movie fail to match the awesomeness of the concept? Sure. Could it have used a more accomplished director at the helm? It wouldn't have hurt. But it sustains interest for close to two hours. This viewer was caught up enough in the story that any flaws didn't detract from the experience.

The U.S. government is in an intense search for an obscure mineral (for national defense purposes, of course) and believes that the only place it could be found is on board the wreckage of the Titanic. Since at this point in time, divers couldn't travel that deep into the ocean, people working on the project come up with this offbeat solution of using explosive devices to bring the massive ship to the surface.

Political intrigue adds to the plot, as the Russians believe that by rights they should be allowed to retrieve the mineral. They do everything that they can to undermine the operation.

The actors deliver decent performances, although there are precious few characters that really engage the viewer. One exception is the Titanic survivor John Bigalow, played by Sir Alec Guinness. There's a lot of familiar faces here: Jason Robards, David Selby, Richard Jordan, and Anne Archer as the stars, and a steady array of top notch character actors. The romantic subplot with Selby and Archer never really goes anywhere, but fortunately it doesn't take up TOO much of the running time.

The special effects are adequate, and the actual event of the title is reasonably impressive.

The most worthy component is really the rousing, emotionally rich music score by John Barry.

Seven out of 10.

Special effects in 1980 weren't what they are in 2002 obviously. This film is rather laughable in terms of pyrotechnics when you compare it to, let us say James Cameron's film (by the way this film was made five years before they found the real Titanic so they had no way of knowing the ship broke in two before it went down). I saw this film as a kid and enjoyed it (I enjoy anything having to do with the Titanic). I remember that summer of 1980 there was a big ad build up for it, the last great human adventure is about to begin. This is a good suspense film, although they would have been better off following Cussler's novel more closely especially in character develpment. Cussler was reportedly so angry at this film he forbid them to make anymore from his novels which is a damn shame. Dirk Pitt is a fine hero in the James Bond mold. The scene where the ship is "raised" is handled rather well. I read something that was kind of funny, the producers spent a fortune building an elaborate studio tank for the model they "raised" then found out they didn't make it big enough. Anne Archer is rather wasted in this film, shes a fine actress who deserved better. The great Alec Guiness has an amusing cameo. He was always such a loveable old ham.