More Of A Social Issue Soap Opera Than A Historical Contemplation Of The Titanic
Are you a Titanic enthusiast? Do you think that you've seen every conceivable story made in relationship to the epic disaster that befell the ship on its fateful maiden voyage? Never fear, there will always be a new dramatic vantage point to be explored. The twelve part 2012 miniseries "Titanic: Blood and Steel" bets you'll be interested in the intrigue and conflicts that arose during the building of the vessel. That's right, "Blood and Steel" picks up as the concept of the Titanic is borne and ends as the ship is about to embark on its journey. None of that pesky iceberg business for this production! In many ways, "Titanic: Blood and Steel" is a throw back to the old-fashioned TV miniseries before premium cable channels changed the game forever with more dramatic realism and higher production values. Ironically, though, this program premiered on Encore (a premium cable network) but it still feels like a network TV endeavor. In its original broadcast, two episodes were presented each...
Nice Miniseries
This is a nice little mini-series set against the backdrop of the construction and sailing of RMS Titantic in the years 1910-12. I have seen detractors slam the series as it "does not offer any new information" or has minor flaws; this is not a documentary - it is entertainment. If it inspires one to learn more about the ship, the people who built her, and the times in which they lived, so much so the better.
Good, different, but flawed
Titanic: Blood and Steel will probably be eclipsed by more conventional Titanic movies that focus on the disaster. It's really a very intelligent drama, focusing not so much on the sheer process of ship building as on labor negotiations, class tensions, religious discrimination, feminism, idealism, and politics. (Where else will you find heartwarming slogans like "We're going to take engineering back from the accountants!") The characters often debate politics, ethics, and engineering; you may or may not like this sort of thing; I did. The vocabulary is refreshingly sophisticated. The series shows what is apparently a real ship being built in a real shipyard, with lots of gritty industrial shots. Belfast is convincingly cobblestoned and dirty (I was reminded of Pittsburgh, in its steel and coal days).
I was, therefore, disappointed by the lack of realism in other areas. Criticisms in Wikipedia include things like the purported Titanic being built on the slip where in...
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment