Review of A Night to Remember (1958) by Dann M — 01 Apr 2015

The most tragic Titanic reenactment I've ever seen. It was a big picture for it's time, but nowhere near the scale of Jame Cameron's version. Thankfully, this one didn't have Celine Dion on the soundtrack.

It actually had very little music, apart from some short dramatic moments and the ships orchestra. They keep playing to the bitter end. This Titanic is very restrained and more realistic because of it.

The iceberg hits early, but there's no action until the end. Just women and children boarding lifeboats. Some of the language and mannerisms and social statements are outdated by today's standards, but it's black and white so it's expected and forgivable.

The Cameron film had emotion and romance to sustain its first half, while this mostly had a lot of chivalry which became redundant, but it's probably accurate in the historical context, so more faithful to the actual event.

The movie is restrained, but not slow paced. The film keeps a steady pace up until the end. And then the ship tips to a 90 degree angle. The Cameron version was a spectacle, this one is just heartbreaking.

This isn't Hollywood, this is a trip back in time. I imagine because of the sensibilities of the time the people on the Titanic really were like this. It seemed through the whole movie everything that you could possibly complain about was being shouted, except for the words "we're sinking!" The people on this Titanic were more lovable so it was harder to see them go.

I highly recommend this one. Even if the thin plot isn't to your liking, every shot of the Titanic is very iconic and worth seeing. I also highly recommend the Cameron version.