101 years and 4 days ago on 10 April 1912, the RMS Titanic embarked on its maiden and final voyage. It would never reach its destination. 101 years ago today, Titanic struck an iceberg and eventually sank in the early hours of the 15th of April.
RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you are into history as much as I am and would like to take a cinematic journey to the past, I invite you to watch the following films:
Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012) – TV
- 12 episodes
- Pre-Titanic, set in 1909-1912 in Belfast, N Ireland
- Focuses on political and social aspects (workers union, women’s suffrage movement, Home Rule vs Unionist, etc.) in Belfast
- Romance between two employees working for the Titanic before its launch.
- Beautiful Edwardian costumes (all classes)
- Final episode leaves you wondering who will survive on the Titanic…
Titanic (1997) – Movie
Star-crossed lovers. The poster was fashioned after Titanic ‘ s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- 195 min. long
- Set in Southampton, Titanic, Brock Lovett’s ship
- Fictional romance between a first class passenger (survivor) and third class passenger.
- Beautiful Edwardian costumes and interior setting
- Wonderful OST by James Horner
This Titanic Heaven from Monica Andrews on Vimeo is my favourite scene from Titanic. It’s a nice ending to the movie.
ITV’s Titanic (2012) – TV Miniseries
- 4 episodes
- Set mostly on Titanic
- Hints at women suffrage movement through one first class passenger
- Costumes were rather limited and in some ways disappointing
- Those used to the settings in the movie Titanic will be upset with the settings on ITV’s Titanic as it is not as grand and appears too white.
- There are many well-known actors but somehow the acting seemed overdone. Not enough extras around. Seemed as though there were fewer passengers on the Titanic.
- Story was confusing. Sometimes too fast and quite often skimmed stories on lives. Episodes seemed repetitive because there’s more info and point of views from previous scenes in each newer episode.
- Overall: smaller budget clearly (compared to the movie Titanic!)
Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) – Documentary
Ghosts of the Abyss (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- 150 min. long
- Produced & directed by the same man who made the Titanic, James Cameron
- Great scenes of the RMS Titanic underwater
- Some recreated scenes of Titanic in April 1912 (imagining what it would have been like on certain parts of the ship)
- Overall: heartbreaking and nostalgic. Definitely keep a box of kleenex for the scene when the ship sinks. Hundreds of photos of passengers lost to sea will be shown on screen. Worth having as a keepsake before the ship deteriorates.
Saving the Titanic (2012) – TV Movie
- 104 min. long
- A film on the engineers who risked their lives to save the Titanic.
SOS: The Titanic Inquiry (2012) – TV Movie
- 59 min. long
- A dramatisation of the Titanic Inquiry on the failure of the SS Californian, the closest ship to the Titanic at the time it hit the iceberg, to rescue passengers of the Titanic.
- Were they guilty or were they truly ignorant that the Titanic was in danger?
Related articles
- Retrace the Titanic Voyage 100 Years Later (costumesupercenter.com)
- Titanic violin to be put on display for Belfast’s 400th anniversary (irishcentral.com)
- 10 Places to Remember the Titanic (flightnetwork.com)
- Belfast prepares to mark the 101st anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic (irishcentral.com)
- Last Titanic menu to go on display (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
The Lady and the Rose 