POSEIDON

US, 2006, 99 minutes, Colour.
Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfus, Jacinda Barrett, Emmy Rossim, Mike Vogel, Ian Maestro, Jimmy Bennett, Andre Brower, Freddy Rodriguez, Kevin Dillon, Stacey Ferguson.
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

Many older people will remember seeing The Poseidon Adventure in 1972. It was one of the big blockbusters of that year and drew in huge audiences who enjoyed this first of the major disaster movies.

There was the luxury liner, the tidal wave, the upturned ship, the survivors’ gruelling journey through the ship and out. Gene Hackman led the group, a minister on leave who sacrificed himself for the others. Shelley Winters did her now famous underwater swim and Maureen Mc Govern sang ‘There’ll always be a morning after’. Lots of study groups and classes in those days watched it, discussed the values and saw some religious imagery in the climb to the light and new life as well as the giving up of his life by a Christ-figure.

It’s not quite the same this time. Not that the film is not an entertaining summer movie. It is, for those who enjoy a rather relentless fight for survival. But, in the re-writing Paul Gallico’s tale and updating it, most of the religious elements have disappeared. It is now a secular adventure, the only religious symbolism being a cross pendant on a Latin American character which is used as one of the means to loosen some bolts and get the group further to safety. It is certainly treated with some reverence as it is put back around the neck of the dead woman.

The self-sacrificing hero this time is a former fireman and former mayor of New York City, played by Kurt Russell. His motivation comes from the fact that his 19 year old daughter (Emmy Rossum) and her fiance (Mike Vogel) are among the small group making their way to the bottom of the ship – which is now the top. No scenes of prayer or questioning what God wants of people.

The other hero is a modern gambler (Josh Lucas), one of those types who used to move from western town to town or travel the showboats on the Mississippi. He is the main character who is transformed by the experience, thinking at first only of himself but helping a mother and her young son and becoming more selfless as they go on.

For those older members of the audience, Richard Dreyfuss (looking older than all of us) portrays a lonely man contemplating suicide but whose will to live as he contemplates the wave is stronger.

There is no big single swimming scene. Rather, this time everybody has to hold their breath and move underwater through the flooded holds. It is a tribute to the direction and editing that many of the audience will be wondering how they would manage and imagining holding their breath – or actually trying to hold it as they watch.

In fact, this is the strength of the film. It makes the whole accident and the consequences credible.

The rogue wave means more to most people after the terrible disaster of the 2004 tsunami. In cinema terms, most of us have seen Titanic and are aware of the power of nature destroying even the largest and best equipped of ships. The passengers on the Poseidon have the option of staying together in a large air pocket and wait to be rescued or try to move through the ship and find some outlet. The film makes it all plausible as they go step by step (the action of the film corresponding to real time), using their wits, exercising courage and overcoming fears.

The film moves briskly enough and comes in at under 100 minutes.

1. The popularity of the original film? The disaster trend of the 1970s? The story and its impact now?

2. The updating of the screenplay: the characters, their being secularised, the similarities with the original, differences, a cross-section of society?

3. The impact of the ship: the opening and the exteriors and sweep? The interiors, vast, the workings, the engineering?

4. The New Year celebration, the captain welcoming the people, the speeches, the tables, the captain’s table, the dancing, the song, the countdown to New Year. The young and their space for dancing? The older people and gambling? The setting up of characters for the disaster?

5. The characters: Dylan and his navy background, gambling, his meeting with Maggie and Conor? Lucky Larry and the gambling? Robert Ramsay and his being a fireman, Mayor of New York, his marriage, his love and protection for his daughter?

6. Richard Nelson, at the table, grim, the phone call, his lover walking out on him, contemplating suicide, prepared to go over the side of the ship?

7. Jennifer and Chris, their being together in the cabin, Robert and his disapproval, the later proposal?

8. The wave, Richard Nelson looking at it coming, the size, the impact, the smashing into the ship, the effect on people, falls and deaths, people being trapped?

9. The air pocket in the celebration room, the captain advising people to stay, the water breaking in and the people drowning?

10. Dylan and his defying the captain, his knowledge of ships, determination to find a way, the friendship with Maggie and Conor and taking them with him? His having talked with Elena?

11. Robert Ramsay, the injuries, determined to find his daughter, Christian being pinned down, the women lifting the weights and his getting free?

12. The family being united, the small number of the group? Their interactions, survival instinct, fears, having to swim and hold their breath, claustrophobic fears, the falls, the fire?

13. Valentin, his offering to help, the bridge, his being the last, clinging to Richard Nelson, his being kicked free and falling to his death? The bridge, the elevator and the fire?

14. Elena, her stowing aboard? Her motivations to see her brother? Her helping Jennifer? The claustrophobia in the passageway? Her having the cross and its being useful? Her finally being trapped, her death?

15. Maggie, her relationship with Conor, courage, Conor and his being small, getting his hand through the grating, using the cross to loosen the nuts and bolts? Their later being separated? Dylan rescuing Conor?

16. Richard Nelson, his age, experience, helping? His feelings of guilt after Valentin’s death?

17. The plans of the ship, Dylan understanding them, Robert studying them? The corridors and passageways? Their going up while going to the bottom of the ship? The water pressure, opening the valves, the propellers?

18. The necessity of swimming, going into the compartment and letting the compartment fill with water? The pressure and opening the door? The need for someone to swim to stop the propellers, Christian and his decision to go, the reconciliation with Robert? Robert going while they were not looking, the self-sacrifice, his death?

19. The group being saved, the propellers stopping, jumping from the ship, seeing it sink, the safety raft, the helicopters arriving and the spotlighting the survivors?

20. Audiences identifying with the characters, the situation? Excitement and fear? What if…?