While the enormous popularity of 94’s Titanic has clearly faded, I think the subject will continue to enjoy significant public fascination for years to come. More than just a disaster, the sinking of the ship stands as a parable for the modern age, and it features many elements that ensure its popular prominence for the future.
Of course, we found a slew of related projects that struck while the iron was hot back in 1998, but not everything hit shelves back then. On Titanic: The Complete Story, we find a nice compilation of documentaries about the tragedy, some of which actually predated the James Cameron hit.
This two-DVD set includes three programs, each of which lasts a little more than 90 minutes. However, the first two really should be considered as one long piece. From 1994, “Death of a Dream” and “The Legend Lives On” aired on two different dates but they function as a whole; you can enjoy each alone, but they need to be viewed together to provide the full story.
”Dream” comes first in the chronology. It follows the origins of the ship and follows its building in Ireland. It then shows us the vessel’s entire voyage, at least through the first stages of the sinking. We watch as the boat hits the iceberg and then see much of the rescue efforts that took place on board; by the end of the show, all of the lifeboats are deployed, but it halts at that point.
”Legend” picks up at that point and shows the rest of the story. It displays the immediate reactions as the news hit back in America and elsewhere, and it also continues with the final moments of the boat as well as the rescue. We then watch the aftermath as it affected survivors and the world at large.
Both programs are told via identical methods. Narrated by David McCallum - who acted in A Night to Remember, one of the more famous Titanic films - the visuals display a mix of illustrative art of the journey and sinking, archival photos and footage from the period, and modern interviews with a wide
18-Dec-2010 08:57:48
