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Hollywood's 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.

Military stories are always popular for obvious reasons. They appeal to Navy veterans who enjoy reliving their exploits, while also being liked by those land-lubbing Army vets, who like to poke fun. Everybody likes a good maritime adventure, be it, "Das Boot, " the German serial drama about life on a submarine, or "Master and Commander, " with Russell Crowe in the starring role as an English sea captain in pursuit of a French vessel during the Napoleonic Wars.

Another category of sailing film includes stories about hapless souls having misadventures at sea. Excellent examples include, "Adrift, " a nail-biting thriller from 2006 about a group of men and women who go diving off their boat without making sure there was a ladder or other means of getting back on board. In "White Squall, " set in the 1960s, a group of teenage boys embark on the sailing trip of a lifetime, only to confront the storm 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."

Then there are the films about tough fishermen on a quest to pit their wits against the ones that got away. Examples here are "The Old Man and the Sea, " a dramatization of the book of the same title by Ernest Hemingway. There are now three versions of the fishy tale: the original 1958, featuring Spencer Tracy, a popular 1999 remake starring Anthony Quinn, and a 20-minute animation version, which was directed by Alexander Petrov.

People who enjoy the sensation of their hearts pulsating in their throats will enjoy 2013's, "All is Lost, " a harrowing tale with no dialogue starring Robert Redford. Coping with the aftermath of crashing into a shipping container during a raging storm, Redford has no time for friendly chit chat.

"Dead Calm, " offers levels of terror similar to those found in "All is Lost, " but from a different angle. Grieving couple, Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill go on a romantic cruise to put their lives back together. It's all going swimmingly until the psychopathic shipwrecked sailor comes along.

The sea lends a dramatic backdrop to any type of story, lending an added dimension to the characters and the action. With seagoing vessels tending to be relatively confined spaces, it allows the director the chance to develop characters and story lines without distractions of wardrobe or complicated scenery. Claustrophobic scenes aboard submarines allow the viewer to experience new levels of autonomic nervous system symptoms.




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