Dual/Duel reviews are an online smackdown between two books, movies, games, podcasts, etc. etc. that I think are interesting to compare, contrast, and comment on. For a list of other dual/duel reviews, go here.
A pair of movies about the sinking of the Titanic for the anniversary of the sinking! Actually, a lot of movies and documentaries have been made about the tragedy, so this review could be a series that goes on and on, but I limited myself to two films reasonably close together in production time (both from the 1950s) and budget (around $1.5 million), so they would have some equal footing.
Titanic (1953) directed by Jean Negulesco
Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck are a bickering rich couple. She's taken the two kids onto the Titanic to get back to America and away from the spoiled, rich lifestyle Webb has been raising them in (posh European hotels, swanky galas, no home or friends to speak of, etc.). Her attempt to sneak away is foiled when Webb finds out and bribes a steerage passenger for his ticket. Their marriage is just as doomed as the boat they are on, but can the children be saved from both the metaphorical doom of dad's lifestyle and the literal doom of the ship?
The movie is less about the sinking and more about the melodrama. Setting the dramatics in the context of the Titanic disaster gives the story a lot more poignancy. Even if they are spoiled rich people, they are still human beings with more than self-inflicted suffering in their lives. While not a great film, the actors do a good job with an occasionally painfully melodramatic script. The double tragedies (the lost life of their family and the lost life in the sinking) feed into each other fairly well.
Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Kenneth More) is proud to serve on the Titanic's maiden voyage. As a high-ranking officer, he gets to see many different aspects of the ship. Following him through the story gives a fairly thorough look at the on-board situation, both before and after the iceberg hits. Many famous passengers (the Strausses, Guggenheim, Molly Brown, the band that played to the end, etc.) appear throughout. The unfair treatment of the second and third class passengers, especially during the tragedy, is honestly portrayed. The movie also gives the bigger context, showing the nearby ships that did and didn't respond to Titanic's distress call.
This movie does a great job showing the overall situation and how it effected so many lives onboard. Lightoller is the most central character in a larger ensemble. A lot of detail went into the script (which was based on Walter Lord's book of the same name) and leaves the viewer with a lot more knowledge about what happened and why. The special effects as the boat sinks are impressive for the 1950s.
Which movie is better?
Both movies are black and white productions with similar budgets.
Titanic's melodramatic plot caused a lot of eye-rolling for me. It hasn't aged as well as the other movie.
A Night to Remember has a lot of different plots going on. Since they are all tied into the disaster, they don't become a confusing mishmash of stories. Advantage to
A Night to Remember.
Titanic has a lot of star-power and uses those stars well. In addition to Webb and Stanwyck, other actors turn in solid performances: Robert Wagner as a college boy smitten with the daughter; Thelma Ritter as Molly Brown; Richard Baseheart as a mysterious character with a side plot that could have been more interesting (or at least less typical) than the spoiled-rich family.
A Night to Remember has a lot of good performances but no stand-outs. Advantage
Titanic.
The actual sinking of the boat (as well as the explanation of what happened) is done much better in
A Night to Remember. Advantage to
A Night to Remember.
Titanic is a mild recommendation;
A Night to Remember a full recommendation.
Winner:
A Night to Remember
Loser:
Titanic
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