The Titanic Legacy, Part I

Well, it’s Friday the 13th (boo!) and tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary the Titanic struck an iceberg and went down, marking the beginning of an eternal fascination with the tragedy, the people, the ship, and human hubris.

I’ve no intention of revisiting James Cameron’s film anytime soon – it, er, hasn’t aged that well since I last watched the monster hit – and there’s frankly other more fascinating documentaries and dramatizations out there to see.

Just uploaded are two related soundtrack reviews – Sony Classical’s Titanic: Collector’s Anniversary Edition [M] (2012), spanning 4 CDs, and BSX Records’ Titanic: An Epic Musical Voyage [M] (2012) tribute CD, plus a pair of teleplays that recently aired on the CBC.

The most intriguing is the docu-drama Saving the Titanic [M] (2011), a German (but English language) docu-drama about the boiler stokers who stayed to the end to keep power going and save lives; and Titanic: The Canadian Story [M] (2012), a CBC doc focusing on several Canadian passengers, via archival materials and interviews from the descendants of some survivors.

There’s actually plenty of alternatives to Cameron’s film (and being slammed with Celine Dion’s voice), much of it on TV, so courtesy of Zap2it, here are some new & old shows worth catching:

- Building the Titanic (2005), History Channel

- National Geographic's Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard and Titanic: The Final World with James Cameron, National Geographic Channel

- Real Titanic, The (2010), History Channel

- Saving the Titanic (2011), CBC Newsworld

- Titanic (2012 mini-series), History Channel & PBS

- Titanic Belfast: Birthplace of a Legend, PBS
- Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved, History Channel

- Titanic’s Nuclear Secret (2008), TVOntario

- Titanic: The Aftermath, Discovery Channel

- Titanic: The Canadian Story, CBC Newsworld

- Waking the Titanic, CBC Newsworld

Lastly, there’s also Nazi Titanic, a new doc on the making of the 1943 German version, made by the Nazis, and an historical abomination that’s fascinating and exceptionally ridiculous. A DVD was released in Germany and the U.S. (here via KINO), and I should have a film review up by Saturday, but those curious to catch it on the big screen can see it at The Projection Booth, Saturday at 7pm!

It’s really a fascinating warping of historical facts, painting the British & Americans as greedy bastards willing to sacrifice lives for cash. Plus: had they just listened to the impertinent German officer on board (!), 2000+ lives would’ve safely arrived in New York City. It’s history filtered through bizarrolandt. Catch it, and then watch the documentary on the History Channel Sunday / Monday.






Mark R. Hasan, Editor
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