Directors:
Ronald Neame
Irwin Allen
Based on a Novel by Paul Gallico
A couple of the stars:
Gene Hackman … Reverend Frank Scott
Ernest Borgnine … Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
At the moment I am considering revisiting 1970s movies. It seemed that they had the toughness and the script and what was shocking then has been overtaken long ago now. Maybe due to no CGI they could not swap technology for script.
It was a thriller. A disaster movie…. this time the whole world is not at threat… but if the ship is your whole world and it has capsized, then what’s the difference.
Gene Hackman plays a somewhat irreverent Reverand who is descibed on wikipedia as believing “God helps those who help themselves”. I had to say, this is true, but it does not describe the negativity with which he believes it. It is almost as if he believes this and is a bit angry with God that this is the case. Actually, it seems truer to say, he thinks God doesn’t help at all and leaves you to do everything yourself. This means he is a great force in looking for a way out of the ship. He has no notion of sitting back and waiting.
Considering the CL question… what is this film proposing? I am not sure. It proposes something magnificent in terms of human self sacrifice and determination to survive. Reverend Frank Scott is a maverick in terms of faith, but when it comes down to it- he puts himself last and those he tries to save first. Certainly, it speaks against sitting back and waiting to be helped… arguably pelagian.
At any rate it was a great movie a real thriller.
