Sunday

The Ten Best Sailing Movies

By Kathleen Brooks


Whether it's curling up on a rainy day in front of the television to view a film classic, or venturing out to the cinema to soak up atmosphere from the other moviegoers, there's nothing like an adventure at sea. One of the most popular types of film are sailing movies. These may be subdivided into several different categories.

One genre of nautical flicks is those with a military theme. One such specimen is 2003's, "Master and Commander, " starring Russel Crowe. Here, we see Crowe as the British captain pushing his ship and his crew to their limits in pursuit of a French warship during the Napoleonic Wars. Nominated for six Academy Awards and starring Klaus Wennemann, Jurgen Prochnow, and Herbert Gronemeyer, "Das Boot, " released in 1981, was mesmerizing viewers, both in English or in the original German with English subtitles.

Two stories of sea voyages that didn't turn out as they were intended are "Adrift, " and "White Squall." The former starts out as a weekend cruise among friends to celebrate the 30th birthday of a member of the closely-knit group. As the souls plunge into the sea for a frolic, the last one in forgets to set the ladder in place and the group faces a set of challenges as they are stranded off the boat, with a young baby left topside. The 1960s film, "White Squall, " sees a group of teenage boys facing tough conditions on what was, and turned out to be, the voyage of a lifetime.

The powerfully entertaining series, "Pirates of the Caribbean, " starring Johnny Depp and a host of sparkling costars over the years, is one of the most high-grossing maritime film franchises. Spearheaded by Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer/director who can do no wrong, it scores awards that will stand alongside those of his other projects, "CSI, " "Con Air, " "The Rock, " and "Top Gun."

Fishermen are often the stars of maritime movies. Of these, two come immediately to mind. "Moby Dick" the tale of one man's obsession with a whale, starred Gregory Peck. Directed by John Huston, it was released in 1956. "The Old Man and the Sea, " dramatized the Ernest Hemingway novel and was made twice. The original starred Spencer Tracy in 1958; in 1999, it was remade with Anthony Quinn in the starring role.

Those who enjoy harrowing drama should view "All is Lost, " a 2013 release featuring Robert Redford. There is no dialogue, which is hardly surprising. Redford has his hands full coping with the aftermath of a collision with a shipping container while battling a fierce storm.

Similar to "All is Lost, " "Dead Calm" offers viewers a similar heart-in-throat sensation, but for completely different reasons. In this tale, a grieving couple on a romantic voyage are cruising along happily until they take on psychopathic shipwrecked sailor, Billy Zane.

The sea provides a dramatic backdrop for all sorts of situations, from love stories to psychological thrillers and war films. The confined spaces of a boat make prime real estate for developing characters, often pitting them against each other for seriously compelling drama.




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