1992 Canadian documentary film by Stephen Low
Titanica
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fc/Titanica_poster.jpg/220px-Titanica_poster.jpg) |
Directed by
| Stephen Low
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Written by
| Alexander Low
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Produced by
| Pietro L. Serapiglia
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Starring
| Eva Hart
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Narrated by
| Cedric Smith
Leonard Nimoy
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Music by
| Stephen Edwards
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Distributed by
| IMAX
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Release dates
|
- 1992
(
1992
)
- 1995
(
1995
)
- 1997
(
1997
)
(edited)
|
---|
Running time
| 95 minutes
40 minutes (edited general release version)
67 minutes (edited video version)
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Country
| Canada
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Language
| English
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Titanica
is a 1992
IMAX
documentary film about the
RMS
Titanic
. The film was directed by
Stephen Low
and narrated by
Cedric Smith
,
Anatoly Sagalevich
and Ralph White. The film mostly focuses on footage taken at the
wreck of the RMS
Titanic
, also featuring footage of the expedition crew searching the wreck
[1]
as well as interviews with
Titanic
survivors
Frank John William Goldsmith
and
Eva Hart
.
[2]
Using Eva and the crew members, Low conveys the voice of the documentary by showing the Titanic's wreckage as a graveyard which is to be respected and treated with caution and care. It was the second feature-length IMAX film released, following
Stones at the Max
in 1991.
[1]
An edited 40 minute version of the film was also later released for IMAX theatres in 1995;
[3]
this version had new narration by
Leonard Nimoy
, though it retains most of White's narration.
[4]
This edited version later became the basis for another edited version released in 1997, featuring 27 more minutes of interviews with Ralph White,
Emory Kristof
, and other experts.
Production
[
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]
The expedition crew was composed of a Russian, American and Canadian
[1]
who were operating off the Russian research ship
Akademik Mstislav Keldysh
.
[3]
Footage of the wreck was obtained by two
Mir submersibles
,
[3]
sometimes working together, that had been equipped with IMAX cameras and lights that consumed 150,000 watts, capable of clearly lighting up the ocean floor.
[1]
Footage of the wreckage is often compared with historical photos, showing the full impact of the tragedy.
In the film, Eva Hart comments that prior to the
Titanic
striking the iceberg, her mother had commented that calling the ship 'unsinkable' was "flying in the face of the Almighty."
[1]
[3]
[5]
Reception
[
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]
The film holds a 60% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes
based on 5 reviews.
[6]
Roger Ebert
gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, stating the footage "achieve[d] a remarkable intimacy" with the
Titanic'
s wreck, though also stating he would have liked to see more footage of the
Titanic
and less of the expedition crew.
[1]
Margaret McGurk from
The Cincinnati Enquirer
gave a positive review in 2000, particularly praising the detail and size of the footage, stating it was "an instance when the oversized Imax film format truly lives up to its potential."
[3]
Edward Johnson-Ott from
NUVO
spoke favourably of both the footage of the wreck and the crew, stating the crew added "welcome humor while maintaining the dignity such an excursion demands."
[5]
Eva Hart, who had expressed concern about looting of the
Titanic'
s wreck, commended the IMAX film, stating "The IMAX Titanic expedition weren't going down to plunder it. I think it's splendid."
[1]
Watching
Titanica
gave
James Cameron
the idea for incorporating
Mir submersibles
in his 1997 film
Titanic
. He contacted the same submersible crew that worked on
Titanica
after viewing the documentary and they agreed be part of his upcoming film.
[7]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]