MovieChat Forums > Raise the Titanic (1980) Discussion > Good Points

Good Points

posted 20 years ago by FossGly
10 replies | jump to latest

OK so we all know that on the whole that as a movie, Raise The Titanic was terrible, but it wasn't entirely without good points. Trying my best to be positive, I've come up with the following good points:

Score: John Barry's soundtrack was excellent. Very moving, both dramatic and quite emotional, the music alone makes it worth watching.

Cast: Not the casting, but the cast. Robards had the potential to be a great Admiral Sandecker but was let down woefully by the lousy script. Richard Jordan is nothing at all like Dirk Pitt and is miscast, but he is quite a good character actor and is enjoyable to watch. Alec Guinness' character is well played, even if it bears no resemblance to the book. Like Robards and Admiral Sandecker, David Selby could have been a better Gene Seagram.

Some of the special effects: The point where the ship actually surfaces is quite "realistic", if that's the right term. The underwater scenes are fairly eerie and atmospheric, even if they are a bit dull.

The Cornwall scenes: OK I'm a bit biased cos I love Cornwall, particularly St. Ives where the scenes with Alec Guinness and the cemetary scene were filmed, but I think that was a good choice... the quintessential small English port town.

The scene in which Richard Jordan first boards the ship: Mainly because of John Barry's score and the mock-up of the Titanic's interior, this scene works quite well for me as Pitt wanders through the wrecked liner accompanied by Barry's "Memories of the Titanic".

We could fill several forums with the bad points, but does anyone else feel that the movie had some redeeming qualities...?

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] 20 years ago

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[–] danielnugent303 20 years ago

lol @ bossen_hossen

I am exactly the same. I loved this when I was a kid.
It then got given away on DVD with some UK newspaper. I set myself up for a nice afternoons viewing was shocked at how truly awful it was now.
OK, the soundtrack and some of the effects are ok but the story and script are pants beyond belief.

[–] Neelis 20 years ago

Although not the best movie in my collection, I loved the effect of the great liner surfacing: it looks realistic enough to believe it (even if it's impossible) - the model is large enough to scale with the water. Of course, you can see it's a effect, but it is the kind of effect you wish you had in the bathtube with your small model of the ship. (I admit, I used to have a Titanic model and I did sink and raise it a few times!)

So, the story is crap, but the surfacign scenes are good and well worth the couple of bucks I spend on it. (The scene during the credits is great, the liner surfacing again!)

Far from Heaven - Lost!

[–] Othy59 20 years ago

I just watched it for the raising scene, realistic and dramatic... shame the movie didn't come off the same way.

[–] Tony-166 20 years ago

This is not as bad a movie as some make out. It is quite watchable, and, as has already been pointed out, the John Barry soundtrack is a plus point. I remember that the critics really had it in for this film which rendered it a commercial flop before it really hit most big screens. I did actually go to see it and at the time I was quite impressed. I loved Alec Guiness in his little part, loved the Cornish scenery and I liked the low-key ending. The shots of the ship entering New York were quite moving.

There was plenty in this movie which was echoed in the later blockbuster.

Sir Lew Grade, who financed the film famously said of it, "It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic".

[–] artnordin 20 years ago

I would have to agree that this film contains all of those good things that are listed above but I think this film is sadly underated. I have never seen a film this well directed and put together that it has been trashed by every single reviewer on the face of the Earth! It is also understandable that the release date (August 1, 1980) wasn't a very good choice to make. Around that time, George Lucas released his second "Star Wars" film "The Empire Strikes Back". So when you see it, the some-what hyped "Raise the Titanic!" came out and then came along the mega-hyped "The Empire Strikes Back" that is one of the best films ever made and did a box office killing. So if you see it right, part of the reason why "Raise the Titanic!"'s failure was due to a poor release date decision. Otherwise I enjoyed both the book and Lord Grade's film despite what everyone else says. "Raise the Titanic!" is one of my all-time favorite films and I have quite a few friends who have also read the book and seen the film and have loved both of them. The least that the film could have received was an award/nomination for the following:

1)-Best Musical Score
2)-Best Set Design
3)-Best Photography

Plus: Why not a nomination for Best Special Effects? This film had the best underwater and rising effects of all time!

[–] corsair-11 20 years ago

I agree with all of the good points that have been mentioned so. I pulled it out of the video rack a few weeks ago to watch it again after seeing "Sahara" in the theater (by the way, I really enjoyed Sahara, and am not all that upset about changes from the book).

Raise The Titanic was not really all that awful, though I remember the book being much better than the movie. I am now rereading the book, and the first half really does drag a bit. The music in the movie really "touches" me, and of course, seeing the Titanic come up from the bottom... well... How could that NOT touch you?

I don't know if anyone else has posted this info - M.Emmet Walsh is credited in the IMDB cast list as playing Al Giordino, but in the movie he is clearly introduced by Pitt as "Master Chief Walker", and as they watch their Navy support ship leave to check out a distress call you can see his name "Walker" on the upper left chest of his jacket.

Personally, I think Richard Jordan did a good job in his portrayal of Dirk Pitt, and while I think he could have played it better, I think the main problems with his part involved the script/screenplay, and possibly the need for better choices on the part of he director, but not his acting ability.

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from this movie - "You wanna talk about distress?... We're on a ship that never learned to do anything but sink! That's distress!" - Richard Jordan as Dirk Pitt

[–] garthom 19 years ago

Right On, FossGly!

I agree with you.

The John Barry score is magnificent... and the FX are pretty good for the time, when they used to do it the old fashioned way - with models. Note the extra masts on the bow of the ship... they were added to match the "dressed" Greek freighter they used for the stuff with the actors.

Alec Guiness is terrific. Richard Jordan was actually closer to Dirk Pitt than the "Sahara" version. I prefered Robards as Sandecker, even though Macy is a wonderful actor (especially "The Cooler"). Why didn't they ever complete the Anne Archer / David Selby subplot?

Down Points: The script is slow moving... the underwater search seems to take forever. There aren't as many twists and turns as the novel. The onboard spy subplot is disposed of very quickly without any suspense.

I like the anti-arms race theme of the ending at the graveyard. Great location!

I still have a soft spot for this film!

[–] James_Bond_007_218 19 years ago

I agree with all those points. I think its a hugely underrated film and is a lot better than the trash which is churned out today.