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A Night to Remember - Criterion Collection

A Night to Remember - Criterion Collection

List Price: $39.95
Your Price: $35.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: pretty good
Review: I am a Titanic Buff and I was very excited when i was given this video. But i was abot dissapointed at the quality of this video. A good movie but I've seen better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent and Much More Truthful than "Titanic"
Review: This is a very moving, suspenseful and inspiring movie. It has much more substance and accuracy than the movie "Titanic." It is closely based on the very readable, well-researched non-fiction book by Walter Lord. Many of the characters and scenes in "A Night to Remember" are hard to forget.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best Titanic film ever
Review: My first titanic film was James Camerons' Titanic. At first I thought it was good, the special effects were great and it was interesting to watch the events of the disaster unfold in the movie, but I felt there was something still missing, the story didn't convince me. Then I happened to see A Night to Remember and I will never forget it. I actually felt like I was on that doomed ship experiencing the fear and frustration the poor people on that ship must have felt. I highly recommend this movie, even James Camerons' film with its special effects and color comes way short of this film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE no. one classical Titanic Film
Review: Eventhough Camerons Titanic is more than fantastic, I mean seeing Titanic brought back to life (and IN COLOURS) was stunning, it will be this "A Night To Remember" that you remember. Here are all the marvelous people that sailed her, and here is the almost genuine glow and feeling of the era. Its 100 % about the Titanic and not about a fictuous couple meeting on some ship that happens to be the Titanic. Its a must. Highly recommendable. Buy and enjoy. Michael (Denmark)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It IS Titanic!!!
Review: This is based on the Criteron DVD release.

I first saw this movie in 1986 on Showtime and at the age of 16, it drew me to tears. Keeping in mind the fact that the Titanic broke in two wasn't proven until her discovery in 1985, this movie was so accurate in every detail. The sets were so remarkable, the acting was so believable and the facts were represented to the best of known knowledge of the time, without a made-up love story or unneccessary drama.

Not to discredit James Cameron's stunning and modern retelling, this movie I think is the best and a must for any Titanic enthusiast. With so many books, movies and documentry's on this subject, this movie surpasses the lot.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a gripping classic
Review: For all the special effects and color cinematography of recent years, few films in the disaster genre have been able to top this amazing film of the fateful voyage of the Titanic; it is smartly written, with extraordinary cinematography (by Geoffrey Unsworth) and brilliantly acted by a cast of mostly unknown actors. American audiences will probably only recognize David McCallum (Illya Kuryakin in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. series) who plays a radio operator, and Honor Blackman, who gained fame as the Bond Girl with the naughty name in Goldfinger, who has a small part as the wife of a brave and stoic man, and the noted British actor Laurence Naismith, who is marvelous as Captain Smith.

Even though one knows the end, the tension runs high, and we get caught up in lives of the people aboard "the floating palace", and how they handled their dreadful fate. The characterizations are beautifully developed, which is rare in this type of film.
The scenes of the inner workings of the ship are intense, and very well re-created. When compared to documentaries made about the Titanic, this film would seem to be quite accurate, in the physical aspects of the ship, and of the people who sailed her, as passengers and as crew.

I find this 1958 version far superior to the 1997 Oscar winning "Titanic", mostly because the script and acting are much more believable, making the events of that dreadful night come to life and stir the emotions in a deeper way than the newer film ever could.
Adapted for the screen by Eric Ambler from the book by Walter Lord (which I read many years ago and also found fascinating), the direction by Roy Ward Baker is superb, and the almost symphonic score by William Alwyn terrific.
"A Night to Remember" won a 1959 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.
Total running time is 123 minutes.


Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Unsinkable?
Review: Long before James Cameron's "Titanic" became a box office hit, "A Night to Remember" told the story of the great liner Titanic and her ill-fated maiden voyage. It was called unsinkable, but only five days after leaving port on her maiden voyage to New York, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, taking over 1500 souls to their death in the North Atlantic.

"A Night to Remember" is told through the eyes of second officer Lightoller, played by veteran British actor Kenneth More. When the unthinkable occurs, Lightoller contends with disbelief, desperation, and finally the horror of the inevitable. As the band played on, the poor and the wealthy stand aside as the lifeboats carrying women and children are put to sea.

I found this to be a very interesting and exciting adaptation of the Titanic disaster. The cast does a fine job and the special effects, although old, and historical authenticity make this movie exciting to watch. Great care was taken to ensure that the story of the Titanic was told completely and correctly. From the "Californian"'s unbelievable lack of action to the heroic efforts of the captain and crew of the "Carpathia", each detail of the disaster is told. The separation and class distinction between passengers is also described. First-class passengers generally looked down on the others on board, and in one scene a first class lady refers to the third class passengers as "only steerage". Other aspects, such as Mr. Andrews' refusing to leave his ship, and Bruce Ismay's infamous decision to save himself (a decision that haunted him until his death) are also told in the film.

I highly recommend this movie. Although the special effects are nowhere near what they are in "Titanic", this film still does a good job of explaining the Titanic disaster. You'll never forget this true story of hope and dispair, courage and cowardice, and dignity and dishonor in the face of human tragedy.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Shame on Criterion
Review: Absolutely great movie, and the extras are terrific. However, any enjoyment of watching Criterion's edition is spoiled by a vertical line that appears through about half the movie - including the sinking of the Titanic (oops - didn't mean to spoil the ending).

The line is obviously digital in nature, and not an unavoidable problem with the original print. Even if it was the print, I've seen what Criterion can do to restore a poor print and provide the best quality version of the film possible. What is the world coming to when a person can't trust Criterion to deliver a quality product?

I sent the DVD back to Amazon, who kindly sent me a replacement. I even tried it on numerous DVD players, but the problem persists. It is NOT user error.

I emailed the elusive folks at Criterion about a month ago, and they have not even acknowledged my complaint.

This is the sort of movie - like all really great movies - that draws you in and makes you feel like you're there. Watching this crummy flaw in the picture totally ruins the emotional impact that makes this such a great movie.

Bottom line - do not buy this product and do not trust Criterion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Titanic Movie
Review: The special effects may have been surpassed in the more recent movie version of the sinking of the Titanic but the horrible night only truly comes alive in this particular gripping version, A Night to Remember. The story dispenses with imaginary characters and begins quickly as roughly twenty minutes into the movie the Titanic hits the iceberg. The rest of the movie comes close to documenting the sinking in the same space of time as the passengers aboard would have experienced it. All three classes of passengers and many of the crew members are highlighted and all performances are just right. Perhaps the only false note is George Rose's drunken sailor being used as a feeble attempt at comedy relief. Seeing this exquisite movie, it makes less and less sense why a host of imaginary characters are usually added to the story when there is already so much drama inherent in the tale already. This film captures those fateful, frightening hours perfectly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Puts Cameron's Big Deal to Shame
Review: James Cameron's over-hyped special effects spectacle can't hold a candle to this taut, gripping, underplayed production.

Comparing what the directors do with their leads gives one an idea of their priorities. A Night to Remember's Roy Ward Baker, in juxtaposing the unflappable lead player Kenneth More with the overwhelming event, has the effect of making what we know to be inevitable that much more wrenching. On the other hand, Cameron takes Leo DeCaprio, who does a great job with what he's given, and wastes him on a cliché starcrossed-lovers subplot.

The stark black and white photography of A Night to Remember - a North Atlantic night filled with icebergs IS black and white - makes the Technicolor of Titanic seem like a waste of emulsion. And, believe it or not, there are some special effects in A Night to Remember that give Titanic a run for its mega-bucks.

A Night to Remember lets the inherent drama of the Titanic catastrophe deliver the impact, demonstrating that "They don't make them like they used to" is more than just nostalgia.


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