Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Why Choosing Ten Best Sailing Movies Is Impossible

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By Kathleen Brooks


Whether it's curling up on a rainy day in front of the television to view a film classic, or venturing out to the cinema to soak up atmosphere from the other moviegoers, there's nothing like an adventure at sea. One of the most popular types of film are sailing movies. These may be subdivided into several different categories.

"Das Boot, " a German WWII series released in 1981 tells the claustrophobic tale of wartime life inside a submarine. Available in the original German with English subtitles, as well as an English language version, the film held viewers gripped for weeks. Made 20 years later but in a tale from a different century was "Master and Commander, " starring Russell Crowe in 2003. The British captain, played by Crowe, pursues a French warship in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars.

Two stories of sea voyages that didn't turn out as they were intended are "Adrift, " and "White Squall." The former starts out as a weekend cruise among friends to celebrate the 30th birthday of a member of the closely-knit group. As the souls plunge into the sea for a frolic, the last one in forgets to set the ladder in place and the group faces a set of challenges as they are stranded off the boat, with a young baby left topside. The 1960s film, "White Squall, " sees a group of teenage boys facing tough conditions on what was, and turned out to be, the voyage of a lifetime.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise, starring Johnny Depp, is one of the most successful series' of maritime movies. These films were produced by the architect of numerous hit crime series', Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, not to mention hit films, "Top Gun, " "The Rock, " and "Con Air, " among many others.

Fishermen are often the stars of maritime movies. Of these, two come immediately to mind. "Moby Dick" the tale of one man's obsession with a whale, starred Gregory Peck. Directed by John Huston, it was released in 1956. "The Old Man and the Sea, " dramatized the Ernest Hemingway novel and was made twice. The original starred Spencer Tracy in 1958; in 1999, it was remade with Anthony Quinn in the starring role.

"All is Lost, " is a harrowing 2013 film starring Robert Redford. The film has no dialogue, which is hardly surprising. Redford has enough on his plate colliding with a shipping container in furiously stormy seas without having to make idle chit chat.

"Dead Calm, " offers levels of terror similar to those found in "All is Lost, " but from a different angle. Grieving couple, Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill go on a romantic cruise to put their lives back together. It's all going swimmingly until the psychopathic shipwrecked sailor comes along.

The sea provides a dramatic backdrop for all sorts of situations, from love stories to psychological thrillers and war films. The confined spaces of a boat make prime real estate for developing characters, often pitting them against each other for seriously compelling drama.




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