Review of A Night to Remember (1958) by Andy S — 09 Dec 2016

I saw this film as a child in 1958, and it has spawned a lifelong interest in the story of the Titanic and the era that she came from. Now as an academic at a major public university, I am still able to use the story of the sinking as a relevant element of my teaching.

What is so subtle and powerful about this film is that it focuses on the vessel, the sinking, and the underlying socio-cultural story that Walter Lord put into his account in the book with the same title.

The Cameron version may have more technical details and special effects, but it does not capture the pathos and substitutes a love story for the history of the event. The Barbara Stanwyck version similarly focuses on a story of class distinctions for an American audience that misses the broader cultural story in which the Titanic is both symbol and tragedy.

I only wish someone would remake this version with today's technology and knowledge, as well as the sensibilities of the BBC in Downton Abbey and its appreciation of the Edwardian age.