A Night to Remember

One hundred eleven years ago an event occurred that affected the world. The trauma, left at the shores of our consciousness from the wake of impact, acts like an ancestral scar, revealing the tragedy of that day. An event that is known the world over as very unfortunate, devastating, and sadly preventable. Our subject today is one of the first cinematic retellings of the time leading up to what happened, the tragedy itself, and the aftermath. Released forty-three years afterward, it captivated, shocked, and moved audiences around the world. Depicting the first international disaster, it has had an impact and influence that can still be felt sixty-five years after its debut.

So if you're like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me that's a glass of Guinness from our friends in Ireland. So sit back, relax and let's talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.

Today’s episode highlights a historical event, whose anniversary is this Saturday, April 15th. A day which will pass some people by like any other. For others however, there will be some reflection on what occurred over one hundred years ago today. Before I get to our subject today, let’s take a step back in time, one-hundred eleven years ago, to April 10th. We’re in Southampton, England on a day filled with buzz and excitement. It’s a brisk, slightly overcast day as we arrive at Berth 44 around 1:00 pm local time. We stand amongst our peers, a crowd of approximately one-hundred thousand who have been nervously watching a launch reset after a near disastrous collision. As the relaunch commences a loud whistle is heard as a band begins to play music to drum up excitement. Passengers stand at rails, one-hundred feet in the air to try and get a glimpse of their loved ones below. As onlookers cheer and wave at those departing the shore, some, for the very first time, the energy is palpable. The largest ship ever constructed to that point in time is now leaving for its maiden journey to New York, 2,285 miles away. As the ship gets smaller as it moves further away, the crowd begins to dissipate, excited to hear from their loved ones after they arrive in safely, six days later in New York City.

Unfortunately, the ship would meet an untimely end. Just 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, on the night of April 14, 1912, the unsinkable ship, the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg on its starboard side. Almost three-hours later the ship had sunk below the surface of the ocean. Thirteen lifeboats were lowered, carrying the only survivors.

A Night to Remember is a film directed by Roy Ward Baker, The film is based on a novel of the same name, written by Walter Lord. While writing the book he interviewed sixty-three survivors and poured days of research into what would become the final product. The producer of the film, MacQuitty was moved by the book and bought the film rights. He had a connection to the Titanic as well, a personal one at that. An Englishman himself, he was among the one-hundred thousand who saw the Titanic leave Southampton. He had vivid memories of his father taking him to see the launch when he was a young boy and the brevity of the tragic sinking of the vessel.

The subject of the Titanic was treated with great respect by all those involved in shooting the picture. They wanted to ensure that what was depicted was handled with class, care, and accuracy. They took great lengths to take care in their approach and while filming, several survivors were on set to serve as technical advisors. There's actually a story of a survivor who had shown up as an extra for filming one day with his sister. He was fit with a costume fit for the time and set himself up for filming the scene. Prior to filming commencing however, he was recognized and asked to leave. It was the second time he had left the titanic before its untimely descent to the depths.

There are a lot of great performances in this movie, but two stand out for me. The first being the lead role of the second officer played by Kenneth More, who feels perfectly cast in the part. More plays the second-officer with a sort of level-headedness that does well here. The other is the role of the captain, played by Laurence Naismith, who delivers a sort of grave seriousness that anchors the film.

A Night to Remember feels very different from other pictures, in that it sticks to the book it's based upon and the event itself. A Night to Remember, written by Walter Loyd is practically a minute-by-minute account of what had occured based on accounts, statements, and documents. In visually translating the narrative, Baker chose to use black and white photgrophy for the effort, which feels like the right choice. The result is a more serious, recounting, which tows the line between being respectful and tellign a gripping tale beautifully.

When the film debuted, some survivors couldn't bear to watch as the memory of that day was too raw to relive. Understandable, given what they had witnessed and lived through and those they might have lost. Given the situation and circumstances, I don't know if I would be able to watch either. Understandably, there were many who requested private screenings. Those who did go to see the film though, were impressed at its accuracy.

I first watched this film in 2011 when I saw it on Turner Classic Movies. I didn’t really know much about it, but the intro TCM did, hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, was really well done and hooked me. As the movie rolled I became more and more engrossed, moved by what I was seeing. I bought the DVD soon after that as a proud addition to my collection. 

I respect this film a lot for its dedication to handling its subject with care and accuracy. A Night to Remember lets us board the unsinkable ship with a master key, able to meandor between the vessel's various classes and decks. I am a purist when it comes to movies depicting historical events in that I want accuracy, respect, and entertainment. This film has all of those traits and more, which for me make it the perfect movie on the subject. With A Night, we have some character arcs and angles, but the focus is with the largest character being the R.M.S. Titanic herself.

I find this movie remarkable in its story and execution. It's an engrossing watch that captures us and holds our attention and builds tension simultaneously. Something that feels rather difficult, since the outcome is already known and understood. Here there's no fluff, tricks, or buffer. For context, the iceberg strikes just a quarter of the way into the plot, leaving the remaining three-quarters about the tragic events that unfolded between her taking on water and her submergence.

The Criterion Collection released an updated version of the film, which I purchased it again on Blu-ray. Part of that was the cover art of the newer edition. As you know, I am a sucker for good cover art and their newest release is utterly fantastic. They commissioned an author and award-winning illustrator, whose work I really enjoy, Gregory Manchess for the cover art. I find his work beautiful and I love the way he works with texture, movement, and color. His cover for the film is phenomenal, one of my favorites of Criterion’s run of covers. It’s a black and white cover, fitting the color palette of the film. The piece has a moving aesthetic that feels perfectly placed for the film. I wish I had a full-sized poster of it to hang on my wall, for me it delivers so much emotion and haunted beauty. He knocked it out of the park.

A Night to Remember is an honorable retelling of what happened on the night of April 15th, 2012 on the Atlantic. If you're interested in learning more about the Titanic, I recommend pressing play in this film or reading the novel of the same name it's based upon, I dinmt think you'll be disappointed.

If you’d like to watch A Night to Remember for yourself, you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on The Criterion Channel. The Criterion Channel is a service of tremendous value from our friends at The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Channel offers a fantastic catalog for film enthusiasts with pricing options of $10.99 per month or $99 per year, which is what I chose to do.

Apart from the Criterion Channel, you can also find it on Apple TV and Vudu for $3.99 to rent.

If you like this podcast, tell your friends and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Each week there will be new content including hints about episodes before they air. If you’d like to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at glazedcinema.com. There you’ll find more info about the show and a place to submit ideas for future episodes as well. For film fans who are hearing impaired, the blog page on our website features each episode in written form as well. As always, thanks for listening and I hope to see you next time with another beverage and another fine film on Glazed Cinema.