As it is, Raise the Titanic is an action film with little action, an adventure film with almost no adventure, and a thriller with no real thrills.
While attending college in 1993, I had the privilege of meeting Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the wreckage of the doomed White Star liner, RMS Titanic, in 1985. It was fascinating to hear him speak about his adventures. Up until his discovery of Titanic’s wreckage in the North Atlantic, it was thought that the ship might have remained intact after striking an iceberg and sinking in 1912. Ballard found that the hull had, in fact, split into two pieces. I mention this because it completely negates the plot of the 1980 film, Raise the Titanic. Putting that scientific tidbit aside, I decided to watch this adaptation of Clive Cussler’s 1976 novel of the same name anyway.
Raise the Titanic takes place in the same era in which it was conceived: the Cold War. The United States plans to construct a network of sky-facing lasers that will make any attempt by the Soviet Union to launch a nuclear missile strike impossible. However, to complete the plan, known as the Sicilian Project, an energy source is required. A mineral known as byzanium fits the bill but is extremely rare. It just so happens that a considerable quantity of it was discovered on an island in the Arctic Circle. However, the entire stash was hastily transported off the island in 1912 and disappeared. An investigation determines that it was loaded aboard a ship. That ship was the Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage in April of that year.
This stash of byzanium is so valuable that the Navy green-lights a mission to raise the Titanic (and its cargo) from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, the ship’s exact location is unknown. Admiral James Sandecker (Jason Robards) and scientist Gene Seagram (David Sealy) conclude that only one man can lead the expedition to not only find the Titanic but engineer a way to bring her to the surface. That man is Dirk Pitt (Richard Jordan), a retired Navy captain who appears to be an expert at all things nautical and otherwise. He also has a romantic history with Dr. Seagram’s reporter girlfriend, Dana (Anne Archer), for no apparent reason than to create some dramatic tension between the two men.
Raise the Titanic is a curious film because it’s blatantly obvious that a lot of money was spent on its production. The special effects are, for the most part, convincing for their time. (A 55 foot model was constructed to depict the Titanic, for example.) Where more attention should have been paid, however, is the script, which is a patchwork of subplots that go nowhere. The military operation to retrieve the Titanic would lead you to believe that this is some kind of espionage thriller. However, there is zero suspense or intrigue to be found in the story as its told here.
The “action” sequences of model submersibles surveying the bottom of the ocean in attempt to locate the ship are tedious at best. Once the ship is found (trust me, I’m not spoiling anything), the submersibles then are tasked with making the act of placing equipment around the wreckage look exciting.
The script’s biggest blunder, however, is reducing the exhumation of one of the most famous ships of all time from its watery grave to the equivalent of taking out the garbage. Were it not for John Barry’s grand musical score, there would be no gravitas to this film at all. Sir Alec Guinness shows up about halfway through to portray a survivor of the Titanic’s doomed voyage. His role, which amounts to an extended cameo, provides the seed for one of the final act’s few truly memorable scenes. (I won’t spoil it.)
I could take the film to task for its scientific and logistical errors but most of these are simply the result of the filmmakers not having the information we have now about the location and condition of the Titanic’s wreckage. It would be petty to mention them when there are plenty of noticeable gaffes that are their fault. For example, several characters refer to a “Force 12” storm that could put the mission in jeopardy. After a few scenes, it’s never seen or mentioned again.
As it is, Raise the Titanic is an action film with little action, an adventure film with almost no adventure, and a thriller with no real thrills.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
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