Ocean Liners, Disasters and Lost at Sea: Titanic, Poseidon and the Survivors
Titanic, the Poseidon, the Andrea Gail of The Perfect Storm, the lone yacht of All Is Lost and the brigantine of White Squall. Great liners and small boats in terrible weather: the most emotional scenes in maritime cinema.
This chapter of Ships on Screen holds 92 ships and boats. For each one you will find the film or the book, the year, who was in it, what the ship does in the story, and the scene we would bring to life. See all 1,404 ships on one page.
Marea can build every one of these ships as a scale model, with the maximum detail the scale permits, finished to be inspected. But we don’t stop at the ship. We bring the scene with it: a few hand painted figurines on deck, caught in the one moment you remember. It isn’t a diorama. It’s the ship, with its story on board.
This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these films, books and ships better than we do: listening, correcting and learning is one of the many ways we work towards perfection in this craft.
Have you spotted a mistake? Tell us which film, series, book, cartoon or boat, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here
The ships
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Island schooner (unnamed) and war canoe Fictional
The Hurricane (1937)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor, Raymond Massey
Terangi, first mate of an island schooner, is jailed unjustly in Tahiti and escapes home by canoe. The governor commandeers the schooner to pursue him as a hurricane destroys the island.
The Marea scene Terangi paddles his canoe towards the reef as the hurricane builds.
On set Hurricane effects by James Basevi; location filming in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Mary Deare Fictional
The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)
Directed by Michael Anderson
Starring Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston, Michael Redgrave, Virginia McKenna
Salvager John Sands finds the steamer Mary Deare drifting in the English Channel with only her first officer, Gideon Patch, aboard. A courtroom inquiry and a dive on the wreck on the Minkies reef reveal an insurance fraud.
The Marea scene Sands climbs aboard the abandoned, smoke stained steamer in a storm to find Patch alone.
On set Studio sets and models at MGM.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Sea Witch Fictional
The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)
Directed by Michael Anderson
Starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris
John Sands's salvage boat, which comes across the drifting Mary Deare in the Channel.
The Marea scene The small salvage boat plunges through heavy seas beside the towering derelict.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Batavia Queen Fictional
Krakatoa, East of Java (1969)
Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
Starring Maximilian Schell, Brian Keith, Diane Baker
Captain Hanson's steamer sails to the Krakatoa area in 1883 to salvage a sunken ship carrying pearls, with a hold of convicts and a crew of divers. The eruption of the volcano and its tidal wave climax the voyage.
The Marea scene The Batavia Queen riding up the face of the great tidal wave as Krakatoa explodes.
On set A full size ship and models were built.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Albatross Real ship
White Squall (1996)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Jeff Bridges, Scott Wolf, Jeremy Sisto, Ryan Phillippe
Captain Christopher Sheldon runs a sail training school at sea for teenage boys aboard the Albatross. The ship is knocked down and sunk by a sudden white squall on 2 May 1961, killing six.
The Marea scene The Albatross heels over under full sail as the squall hits and water pours through the hatches.
On set The brigantine Eye of the Wind (built 1911), still in service from Germany with FORUM train and sail.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Andrea Gail Real ship
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly
The Gloucester swordfishing boat Andrea Gail heads out late in the season to the Flemish Cap and is caught in the 1991 perfect storm. The real boat was lost with all six crew.
The Marea scene The Andrea Gail climbs a colossal wave at night, her lights tiny against the wall of water.
On set A similar boat, Lady Grace, was used during filming.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
SS Mont-Blanc and SS Imo Real ship
Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion (2003)
Created by Bruce Pittman (writer Keith Ross Leckie)
Starring Vincent Walsh, Ted Dykstra, Mary-Colin Chisholm
Canadian television miniseries on the Halifax Explosion of 6 December 1917, when the munitions ship Mont-Blanc collided with Imo in the Narrows, caught fire and exploded, killing nearly 2,000 people. It was criticised for historical liberties.
The Marea scene The two ships approaching each other in the Narrows on a clear December morning, harbour tugs nearby.
On set Studio models and sets; Mont-Blanc was destroyed; the anchor shaft lies at Armdale.
Photo: Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Odessa Fictional
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, Ian Holm
A Russian tanker that drifts down a flooded Fifth Avenue and freezes into place outside the New York Public Library. Sam and his friends leave the library to search it for medicine and are hunted by escaped wolves.
The Marea scene The huge tanker frozen in the ice between Manhattan's buildings, snow falling around it.
On set Visual effects and sets.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Fishing trawler and HH-60J Jayhawk Fictional
The Guardian (2006)
Directed by Andrew Davis
Starring Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Neal McDonough, Sela Ward
A veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer trains recruits at A School after losing his crew. The rescues of sinking fishing vessels off Alaska frame the story.
The Marea scene A rescue swimmer dangles from the helicopter's hoist above a sinking trawler in a storm.
On set Wave tank scenes at the Louisiana Wave Studio, Shreveport; Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Genesis arks Fictional
2012 (2009)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt
Enormous arks built in secret in the Himalayas to carry selected people and animals through a global flood. Jackson Curtis and his family stow away, and a jammed gate threatens one ark as a wave drives it towards Everest.
The Marea scene The ark's gate jammed open by a wrench while the ark drifts towards the Himalayas and Jackson dives to free it.
On set Created with visual effects.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
USS John F. Kennedy Real ship
2012 (2009)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover
A giant tsunami carries the carrier USS John F. Kennedy inland over Washington and drops it onto the White House. It is one of the film's most famous destruction images.
The Marea scene The aircraft carrier crashing down on the White House lawn on the crest of the wave.
On set Visual effects depiction of the real carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), since decommissioned.
Photo: U.S. Navy, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
MV Rozen Fictional
A Hijacking (Kapringen) (2012)
Directed by Tobias Lindholm
Starring Pilou Asbæk, Søren Malling, Dar Salim
Somali pirates seize a Danish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean. The film follows the ship's cook aboard and the company chief executive negotiating in Copenhagen.
The Marea scene The cook stands on the sunlit deck with a pirate's rifle at his back.
On set A real ship, shot on location.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Breki Fictional
The Deep (Djúpið) (2012)
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur
Starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jóhann G. Jóhannsson
Based on Guðlaugur Friðþórsson, who survived six hours in freezing water after his boat capsized off south Iceland in March 1984 and then walked ashore. The trawler's loss opens the film.
The Marea scene The trawler rolls over as her trawl snags, throwing the crew into the icy sea.
On set Real Icelandic trawler used; real boat was Hellisey.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
MV Maersk Alabama Real ship
Captain Phillips (2013)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Catherine Keener
Somali pirates hijack the unarmed container ship off the Horn of Africa in April 2009. Captain Richard Phillips offers himself as a hostage to protect his crew.
The Marea scene Pirates climb a ladder hooked on the high side of the container ship from their skiff.
On set The identical container ship Alexander Maersk, filmed for nine weeks off Malta.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Maersk Alabama lifeboat Real ship
Captain Phillips (2013)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi
The pirates flee in the ship's orange lifeboat with Phillips hostage, and are shadowed by the destroyer USS Bainbridge until Navy SEALs end the standoff.
The Marea scene The orange lifeboat bobs on the swell with a US destroyer looming nearby.
On set A replica of the real lifeboat, which is displayed at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, Fort Pierce, Florida; USS Truxtun played Bainbridge.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
CPMS Leegood Fictional
San Andreas (2015)
Directed by Brad Peyton
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Giamatti
When a tsunami strikes San Francisco after the great earthquake, a container ship is carried into the Golden Gate Bridge. Ray and Emma, in a small motor boat, only just clear the wave as the ship is thrown against the bridge.
The Marea scene The container ship crushed against the Golden Gate Bridge while the small boat climbs the wave.
On set Visual effects.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Deepwater Horizon Real ship
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez
The story of the blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010, which killed eleven workers and caused a massive oil spill.
The Marea scene Workers leap from the burning rig into the fiery sea below.
On set A 70 foot tall, 85 per cent scale rig set built at the former Six Flags New Orleans, over a two million gallon tank.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
Damon B. Bankston Real ship
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Gina Rodriguez
The supply vessel alongside the rig at the time of the blowout. She takes aboard the survivors from the lifeboats and the water.
The Marea scene Survivors climb from a lifeboat onto the Bankston's deck, the rig burning behind.
On set Depicted in the film.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
RMS Augusta Fictional
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Ella Purnell
A sunken liner that Emma, who can control air, raises from the seabed by blowing the water out of its hull. The peculiar children then sail the rusting ship to Blackpool to rescue Miss Peregrine.
The Marea scene The rusty liner rising from the sea off the Welsh island with the children on its deck.
On set Visual effects and sets.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
CG 36500 Real ship
The Finest Hours (2016)
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana
In February 1952 Bernie Webber and three crewmen take a small motor lifeboat over the Chatham bar in a nor'easter to rescue the crew of the broken tanker Pendleton. They save 32 of 33 men aboard a boat built for 12.
The Marea scene The lifeboat crests a huge breaking wave over the Chatham bar, its searchlight cutting the snow.
On set The real CG 36500 was not used in the film; she survives as a museum boat at Rock Harbor, Orleans, Massachusetts.
Photo: Jerry Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
SS Pendleton Real ship
The Finest Hours (2016)
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Starring Casey Affleck, Chris Pine
The tanker splits in two in the nor'easter of 18 February 1952 off Cape Cod. Engineer Ray Sybert keeps the stern section afloat until the Coast Guard arrives; the sister tanker Fort Mercer suffers the same fate nearby.
The Marea scene Crewmen descend a Jacob's ladder from the broken stern of the Pendleton into the pitching lifeboat.
On set Visual effects and sets; interiors partly filmed aboard USS Salem at Quincy.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Disasters
MS Estonia Real ship
Estonia (2023)
Created by Miikko Oikkonen; Måns Månsson and Juuso Syrjä (directors)
Starring Jussi Nikkilä, Claes Hartelius, Seidi Haarla, Kaspar Velberg
A Finnish Swedish Estonian drama about the sinking of the ferry Estonia on 28 September 1994, in which 852 people died, and the investigation that followed. At about 15 million euros it was the most expensive Finnish drama series made.
The Marea scene Passengers struggle up the steeply tilted stairwell as the ferry heels over in the storm.
On set Sea scenes filmed at water studios in Belgium; sets in Finland, Sweden and Estonia.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Hijackings
MS Achille Lauro Real ship
Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair (1990)
Directed by Alberto Negrin
Starring Burt Lancaster, Eva Marie Saint, Robert Culp, Rebecca Schaeffer
Television film about the October 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship by members of the Palestine Liberation Front, and the murder of the passenger Leon Klinghoffer. Burt Lancaster plays Klinghoffer and Eva Marie Saint his wife Marilyn.
The Marea scene The white cruise liner at sea off the Egyptian coast on a clear October day, passengers on the sun deck.
On set A cruise ship used for filming; the real Achille Lauro caught fire and sank off Somalia in 1994.
Photo: D. R. Walker, CC BY-SA 3.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Hijackings
MS Achille Lauro Real ship
The Death of Klinghoffer (2003)
Directed by Penny Woolcock
Starring Sanford Sylvan, Yvonne Howard
Film version for Channel 4 of the John Adams opera about the 1985 hijacking and the killing of passenger Leon Klinghoffer, filmed partly aboard a ship at sea.
The Marea scene The cruise ship at anchor off Port Said, passengers gathered on the open deck.
On set A ship at sea used for filming.
Photo: D. R. Walker, CC BY-SA 3.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Ark Fictional
Noah's Ark (1928)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Dolores Costello, George O'Brien, Noah Beery
A part talking epic that parallels a train wreck and the First World War with the Biblical flood. In the flood sequence the ark rides out the deluge as the waters engulf the city.
The Marea scene The ark floating above the drowning city as the flood waters pour through the temple.
On set Studio built ark; the flood scenes were notoriously dangerous to film.
Photo: Edward Hicks, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
SS Crescent Star lifeboat Fictional
Abandon Ship! (Seven Waves Away) (1957)
Directed by Richard Sale
Starring Tyrone Power, Mai Zetterling, Lloyd Nolan, Stephen Boyd
After the liner Crescent Star hits a mine, her executive officer takes charge of an overcrowded lifeboat and decides who must go overboard so that others can live. It is based on the 1841 sinking of the William Brown.
The Marea scene Alec Holmes stands at the tiller of the overloaded lifeboat as a storm approaches.
On set Studio tank; real basis was the ship William Brown.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Lord Loam's yacht Fictional
The Admirable Crichton (1957)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Starring Kenneth More, Diane Cilento, Cecil Parker, Sally Ann Howes
Lord Loam's family and servants are shipwrecked on a desert island when the yacht is lost. The resourceful butler Crichton becomes the leader of the castaways until rescue arrives.
The Marea scene The family and servants scrambling ashore from the wreck with Crichton directing them.
On set Unnamed yacht.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Santiago's skiff Fictional
The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
Directed by John Sturges
Starring Spencer Tracy, Felipe Pazos Jr., Harry Bellaver
An old Cuban fisherman goes far out in his skiff and hooks a giant marlin, fighting it for days. Sharks strip the carcass lashed alongside on the way home.
The Marea scene Santiago braces in his skiff, the line over his shoulder, as the marlin leaps.
On set Early bluescreen compositing; marlin footage of Alfred Glassell's record catch off Cabo Blanco, Peru.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Private yacht and dinghy Fictional
Swept Away (Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto) (1974)
Directed by Lina Wertmüller
Starring Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato
A wealthy woman and a communist deckhand are stranded on a Mediterranean island after a dinghy trip from a chartered yacht. Their roles reverse on the island.
The Marea scene The pair drift in the broken down dinghy under a scorching sun.
On set The J-class yacht Shamrock V, then named Quadrifoglio, filmed off eastern Sardinia; Shamrock V is still sailing.
Photo: CC BY 3.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Stayton yacht Fictional
Overboard (1987)
Directed by Garry Marshall
Starring Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann, Roddy McDowall
A spoilt heiress falls from her yacht and loses her memory. The carpenter she cheated claims her as his wife. The yacht frames the beginning and end of the story.
The Marea scene Joanna in her evening gown topples from the yacht's deck into the night sea.
On set Filmed at Raleigh Studios, Fort Bragg and Mendocino, California, and Newport, Oregon.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Saracen Fictional
Dead Calm (1989)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane
A grieving couple on their yacht in the Pacific take aboard a stranger rowing from a sinking schooner. Rae must fight him alone on the Saracen as her husband is trapped on the other boat.
The Marea scene Rae stands at the wheel of the Saracen as Hughie emerges from below.
On set Real yacht filmed in Queensland's Whitsunday Islands.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Orpheus Fictional
Dead Calm (1989)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Starring Sam Neill, Billy Zane
The sinking schooner Hughie claims to have fled. John rows over to find the crew murdered and becomes trapped aboard as she fills with water.
The Marea scene John pumps desperately in the flooded, half sunk schooner.
On set Real schooner filmed in the Whitsundays.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Santiago's skiff Fictional
The Old Man and the Sea (1990)
Directed by Jud Taylor
Starring Anthony Quinn, Gary Cole, Patricia Clarkson
An NBC television adaptation of Hemingway's novella with Anthony Quinn as Santiago, adding a frame story of an American writer.
The Marea scene Santiago rows out alone at dawn in his small skiff.
On set Filmed in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Wanderer Fictional
Captain Ron (1992)
Directed by Thom Eberhardt
Starring Kurt Russell, Martin Short, Mary Kay Place
A Chicago family inherits a Caribbean yacht once owned by Clark Gable and hires the eccentric Captain Ron to sail it to Miami. The run down boat and Ron's mishaps drive the comedy.
The Marea scene Captain Ron lounges at the wheel of the Wanderer with an eye patch as the family clings on.
On set Filmed mostly in and around Puerto Rico.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Chuck Noland's raft Fictional
Cast Away (2000)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy
A FedEx systems engineer survives a plane crash and spends four years on an uninhabited island. He builds a raft, using a washed up portable toilet panel as a sail, to get past the surf.
The Marea scene Chuck on his raft reaches for Wilson the volleyball drifting away in the open ocean.
On set Prop raft; island scenes filmed on Monuriki, Fiji.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Endurance Real ship
Shackleton (2002)
Created by Charles Sturridge
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Kevin McNally, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Hardy
A Channel 4 drama of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Endurance is trapped and crushed in the Weddell Sea pack ice, and the men survive on the ice before reaching Elephant Island.
The Marea scene Endurance lies heeled over in the pack ice as the crew watch her timbers crack.
Photo: Frank Hurley, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
James Caird Real ship
Shackleton (2002)
Created by Charles Sturridge
Starring Kenneth Branagh
The ship's boat in which Shackleton and five men sail 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia to fetch rescue. In the series Robert Hardy also plays Sir James Caird, the sponsor it was named after.
The Marea scene Six men in the tiny James Caird crest a huge Southern Ocean wave.
On set The original James Caird is preserved at Dulwich College, London.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Yacht and dinghy Fictional
Swept Away (2002)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Starring Madonna, Adriano Giannini, Bruce Greenwood
A remake of Wertmüller's film in which a spoilt American and a deckhand are stranded on an island after a dinghy trip from a private cruise between Greece and Italy.
The Marea scene Amber and Giuseppe drift in the stranded dinghy.
On set Filmed in Sardinia and Malta.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Dive boat (unnamed) Fictional
Open Water (2003)
Directed by Chris Kentis
Starring Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis
A miscount by the crew leaves an American couple behind when their dive boat returns to shore. They drift for hours among sharks. Loosely based on the disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan in 1998.
The Marea scene Two divers bob in the empty sea as the dive boat vanishes over the horizon.
On set Filmed in the Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, Grenadines and Mexico.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Lifeboat Fictional
Life of Pi (2012)
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall
After the freighter sinks, the teenage Pi is left in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. For 227 days he survives by building a raft tethered to the boat.
The Marea scene Pi sits on his small raft at the end of a rope, watching the tiger in the lifeboat on a glassy sea.
On set Filmed in a purpose built wave tank at a disused airport in Taichung, Taiwan.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Virginia Jean Fictional
All Is Lost (2013)
Directed by J. C. Chandor
Starring Robert Redford
A lone sailor in the Indian Ocean wakes to find his yacht holed by a drifting shipping container. Storms and failing equipment force him into a liferaft as he tries to reach the shipping lanes.
The Marea scene The yacht's hull is pierced by the corner of a floating shipping container.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Hazaña Real ship
Adrift (2018)
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur
Starring Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin
Tami Oldham and her fiancé Richard Sharp agree to sail a yacht from Tahiti to San Diego and are caught by Hurricane Raymond in 1983. Tami sails the dismasted boat alone for weeks to Hawaii. Based on her memoir Red Sky in Mourning.
The Marea scene Tami rigs a jury mast on the dismasted yacht with Richard injured in the cockpit.
On set Filmed in Fiji over five weeks in 2017.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Lost at sea and survival
Unnamed Beneteau sailing yacht Fictional
The Boat (2018)
Directed by Winston Azzopardi
Starring Joe Azzopardi
A Maltese thriller in which a lone fisherman boards an apparently abandoned yacht in fog and becomes trapped aboard as it seems to act against him.
The Marea scene The sailor stands on the deserted yacht's deck in dense fog, his own boat gone.
On set Two identical Beneteau First 45F5 yachts used in Malta.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Lusitania Real ship
The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918)
Created by Winsor McCay
A 12 minute silent animated film, made as war propaganda, recreating the torpedoing of the Lusitania by U-20 in May 1915. It is the earliest surviving animated documentary and was added to the US National Film Registry in 2017.
The Marea scene The torpedo's track streaks towards the liner's hull as the four funnelled ship steams off the Irish coast.
On set Hand drawn animation, about 25,000 drawings on cels.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Atlantic Fictional
Atlantic (1929)
Directed by Ewald André Dupont
Starring Franklin Dyall, Madeleine Carroll, John Stuart, Ellaline Terriss
An early British talkie that fictionalises the Titanic disaster aboard a liner called the Atlantic. Adapted from Ernest Raymond's play The Berg, it follows passengers as the ship strikes an iceberg and slowly sinks. It was shot in English, German and French language versions.
The Marea scene Passengers gather in the saloon to sing 'Nearer, My God, to Thee' as the listing Atlantic settles by the head.
On set Studio sets and miniatures; fictional ship.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Titanic (1943)
Directed by Herbert Selpin (completed uncredited by Werner Klingler)
Starring Sybille Schmitz, Hans Nielsen
A Nazi propaganda version of the sinking in which the fictional German First Officer Petersen warns in vain against the greed of British owners. Director Selpin was arrested during production and the film was completed by Werner Klingler.
The Marea scene First Officer Petersen argues on the bridge for the Titanic to slow down as she races through the ice field.
On set Exterior scenes shot aboard the liner SS Cap Arcona at Gotenhafen (Gdynia) in 1942; Cap Arcona was sunk by the RAF on 3 May 1945 while carrying some 5,500 concentration camp prisoners.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Golden Fleece Fictional
The Captain's Paradise (1953)
Directed by Anthony Kimmins
Starring Alec Guinness, Celia Johnson, Yvonne De Carlo
Captain Henry St James commands a ferry on the two day run between Gibraltar and Spanish Morocco. He keeps a respectable English wife at one end of the route and a fiery lover at the other, until the arrangement collapses.
The Marea scene The captain on the bridge of the Golden Fleece, swapping his photographs of wife and lover as the ship changes port.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Titanic (1953)
Directed by Jean Negulesco
Starring Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Wagner, Audrey Dalton
A 20th Century Fox melodrama in which an estranged couple's family drama plays out on the maiden voyage. The liner's collision with the iceberg and sinking provide the climax, and the film won the Oscar for its screenplay.
The Marea scene Richard Sturges and his son stand together on the tilting deck singing a hymn as the lifeboats pull away.
On set A 28 foot studio model, now at the Marine Museum at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Lotus Fictional
Doctor at Sea (1955)
Directed by Ralph Thomas
Starring Dirk Bogarde, Brigitte Bardot, James Robertson Justice, Brenda De Banzie
Dr Simon Sparrow signs on as ship's doctor aboard the cargo ship Lotus to escape an unwanted engagement. He clashes with the bullying Captain Hogg and falls for the French singer Hélène on the voyage to South America.
The Marea scene Captain Hogg glaring down from the bridge wing of the Lotus at the young doctor.
On set Filmed aboard the real ship Agamemnon in January 1955, then at Pinewood Studios.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Constitution Real ship
An Affair to Remember (1957)
Directed by Leo McCarey
Starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning
A playboy and a nightclub singer fall in love aboard a transatlantic liner bound for New York and agree to meet on top of the Empire State Building six months later. The shipboard romance is the heart of the film.
The Marea scene Nickie and Terry meet at the ship's rail on the promenade deck.
On set SS Constitution named in the film; mostly Fox studio sets.
Photo: Trenor, CC BY 4.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
A Night to Remember (1958)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Starring Kenneth More, Michael Goodliffe, Laurence Naismith, David McCallum
Based on Walter Lord's book, this is widely regarded as the most historically faithful Titanic film. It follows Second Officer Charles Lightoller and many real passengers and crew through the night of 14 to 15 April 1912.
The Marea scene Lightoller supervises the loading of a lifeboat on the boat deck as rockets burst overhead.
On set Starboard side of the liner RMS Asturias, then being scrapped at Faslane, painted in White Star colours; about thirty sets at Pinewood Studios built from the builders' plans.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Carpathia Real ship
A Night to Remember (1958)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Starring Anthony Bushell (Captain Rostron), Kenneth More
The Cunard liner that answers Titanic's distress calls. Captain Arthur Rostron turns his ship around and races through the ice to pick up the survivors from the lifeboats at dawn.
The Marea scene Carpathia's crew haul survivors up the ship's side from a lifeboat in the grey dawn among the ice.
On set Studio sets and models; the real Carpathia was torpedoed in 1918.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Californian Real ship
A Night to Remember (1958)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Starring Russell Napier (Captain Lord)
The nearby steamer that stops for the night because of ice. Her wireless operator has gone to bed and her officers see rockets but do not act, a failure the film presents unflinchingly.
The Marea scene Officers on Californian's bridge watch distant white rockets and puzzle over what they mean.
On set Studio sets; the real Californian was sunk in 1915.
Photo: Louis Ogden, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Fat Annie Fictional
Ferry to Hong Kong (1959)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Starring Curt Jürgens, Orson Welles, Sylvia Syms
A drunken drifter is refused entry by both Hong Kong and Macau and has to live aboard the old ferry that runs between them. He ends up defending the ship against pirates in a typhoon.
The Marea scene Orson Welles's pompous captain on the bridge of the battered ferry as pirates close in.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Claridon Fictional
The Last Voyage (1960)
Directed by Andrew L. Stone
Starring Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, George Sanders, Edmond O'Brien
A boiler explosion dooms the liner Claridon, and a husband fights to free his wife trapped under wreckage in their cabin as the ship floods. It is famous because a real liner was partially sunk to make it.
The Marea scene The forward funnel crashes onto the deckhouse as passengers flee along the listing promenade.
On set The French liner SS Ile de France, already sold for scrap, was flooded, blown up and partially sunk for the film before being raised and towed to Japanese breakers.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Happy Wanderer Fictional
Carry On Cruising (1962)
Directed by Gerald Thomas
Starring Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor, Liz Fraser
Captain Crowther's cruise liner sets off on a Mediterranean cruise with a largely new and incompetent crew. The comedy follows the mishaps of the crew and passengers on the voyage.
The Marea scene Captain Crowther on the bridge surveying his hopeless new officers.
On set Sets at Pinewood Studios.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic and Lifeboat 6 Real ship
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)
Directed by Charles Walters
Starring Debbie Reynolds, Harve Presnell
The musical biography of Margaret Brown ends with her surviving the sinking of the Titanic. She takes charge in her lifeboat, keeping the survivors rowing through the night.
The Marea scene Molly Brown standing in the lifeboat with an oar, rallying the freezing survivors.
On set Studio tank sets; the real Titanic sank in 1912.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
German passenger liner (unnamed in film) Fictional
Ship of Fools (1965)
Directed by Stanley Kramer
Starring Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner, Lee Marvin
A German liner sails from Veracruz to Bremerhaven in 1933, carrying a cross section of society as Nazism rises. The ship is an allegory of the world heading towards catastrophe.
The Marea scene The ship's doctor and the Countess talk quietly at the rail of the dimly lit deck.
On set Studio sets at Columbia; fictional ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Poseidon Fictional
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Directed by Ronald Neame
Starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons
On her last voyage before scrapping, the ageing liner Poseidon is capsized by a tsunami on New Year's Eve. The Reverend Scott leads a small group upwards through the upside down hull towards the propeller shaft. Paul Gallico's novel was inspired by a 1937 crossing on the Queen Mary.
The Marea scene Survivors climb a Christmas tree towards the upturned floor of the dining saloon as water rushes in below.
On set Parts filmed aboard RMS Queen Mary at Long Beach, California; dining room set at Fox built to Queen Mary's specifications and turned upside down; miniature for the capsize.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Britannic Fictional
Juggernaut (1974)
Directed by Richard Lester
Starring Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins, David Hemmings
An extortionist calling himself Juggernaut plants drums of explosive aboard the liner Britannic in the North Atlantic. A bomb disposal team led by Fallon is parachuted aboard to defuse them in heavy seas.
The Marea scene Bomb disposal experts drop by parachute into the grey Atlantic beside the liner's hull.
On set The German cruise ship TS Hamburg, just sold to the Soviet Black Sea Shipping Company and later renamed Maxim Gorkiy.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
MS St. Louis Real ship
Voyage of the Damned (1976)
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
Starring Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, Oskar Werner, Malcolm McDowell
The true story of 937 Jewish refugees who sailed from Hamburg to Havana in 1939, only to be refused entry by Cuba and the United States. Max von Sydow plays Captain Gustav Schröder, who tried to protect his passengers.
The Marea scene Passengers crowd the rails of the St. Louis at anchor off Havana, watching boats of relatives circle below.
On set The Italian liner Irpinia, fitted with two false funnels to resemble St. Louis.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Pacific Princess Real ship
The Love Boat (1977)
Created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes
Starring Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange
Captain Stubing and his crew welcome new guests each week on a real Princess Cruises liner, with light romantic stories. The show ran on ABC from 1977 to 1986 and made cruising popular.
The Marea scene Captain Stubing greets arriving passengers at the gangway under the Princess seawitch logo.
On set The real Pacific Princess (renamed MS Pacific, scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey, 2013) and sister Island Princess (later MV Discovery, scrapped at Alang, India, 2015).
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Karnak Fictional
Death on the Nile (1978)
Directed by John Guillermin
Starring Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven
Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of heiress Linnet Doyle aboard a Nile cruise steamer. The closed world of the boat keeps all the suspects together.
The Marea scene Poirot confronts the suspects gathered in the steamer's saloon as it glides past the temples.
On set Four weeks filmed aboard the historic steamer SS Memnon.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Poseidon Fictional
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
Directed by Irwin Allen
Starring Michael Caine, Sally Field, Telly Savalas, Karl Malden
A sequel in which a salvage crew and a rival party board the upturned Poseidon in search of loot and survivors. The capsized hull becomes a flooding maze before its final explosion.
The Marea scene Salvagers cut through the upturned hull plating of the Poseidon as she wallows in the swell.
On set Interior sets at The Burbank Studios modelled on RMS Queen Mary; location work off California and Catalina Island.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Jenny Fictional
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
Directed by Irwin Allen
Starring Michael Caine, Sally Field, Karl Malden
Mike Turner's small tug, whose crew spot the capsized Poseidon and decide to salvage her. It is the escape vessel for the survivors at the end.
The Marea scene The little tug Jenny noses alongside the vast upturned hull of the Poseidon.
On set Real tug used on location off California.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
S.O.S. Titanic (1979)
Directed by William Hale (Billy Hale)
Starring David Janssen, Cloris Leachman, Ian Holm, Helen Mirren, David Warner
A British American television film telling the story through first, second and third class passengers, with Lawrence Beesley as a central figure. It aired on ABC and was released theatrically in Europe.
The Marea scene Lawrence Beesley helps a young teacher into a lifeboat on the dark boat deck.
On set Exterior deck and wheelhouse scenes filmed aboard RMS Queen Mary at Long Beach, California (now a hotel ship there).
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Raise the Titanic (1980)
Directed by Jerry Jameson
Starring Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, Anne Archer, Alec Guinness
Dirk Pitt leads an effort to raise the wreck of the Titanic from the North Atlantic floor to recover a rare mineral, byzanium, said to be in her hold. The film was a notorious box office failure but its ascent scene is memorable.
The Marea scene The rusted Titanic bursts to the surface in a storm of spray with salvage vessels standing by.
On set A 50 foot, ten tonne model costing about 7 million dollars, filmed in a purpose built tank in Malta, where the corroded model still lies at the Mediterranean Film Studios.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Titanic (1996)
Created by Robert Lieberman
Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Peter Gallagher, George C. Scott, Tim Curry
A two part CBS miniseries mixing fictional passengers with Captain Smith and other real figures. It was the first screen version to show the ship breaking in two before sinking.
The Marea scene The stern rises and the hull splits between the funnels as passengers cling to the rails.
On set Studio sets and effects; fictional passengers.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Seabourn Legend Real ship
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
Directed by Jan de Bont
Starring Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe
A disgruntled software designer hijacks the cruise ship's computer and sends her on a collision course. The ship finally ploughs into the harbour town of Marigot on Saint Martin.
The Marea scene The cruise ship's bow smashes through the waterfront buildings of Marigot.
On set The real MV Seabourn Legend chartered for six weeks; a 150 foot, 300 tonne bow mock up on an underwater track for the crash.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Titanic (1997)
Directed by James Cameron
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
A love story between third class artist Jack Dawson and first class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater unfolds against the maiden voyage and sinking. The film won eleven Academy Awards and became the highest grossing film of its time.
The Marea scene Jack and Rose stand at the very tip of the bow, arms outstretched, as the liner steams into the sunset.
On set Near full scale starboard side replica built at Fox Baja Studios, Rosarito, Mexico, in a 17 million gallon tank, plus a 1:8 scale stern model; the set was later dismantled.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Argonautica Fictional
Deep Rising (1998)
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Starring Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald, Kevin J. O'Connor
Mercenaries board a luxury cruise ship on her maiden voyage in the South China Sea, only to find it overrun by a giant sea creature. Captain Finnegan's boat brings the raiders aboard.
The Marea scene Finnegan's speedboat races away as the Argonautica sinks behind it.
On set A 38 foot model for ocean shots and a 110 foot model for the sinking, effects by ILM.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
SS Virginian Fictional
The Legend of 1900 (1998)
Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Starring Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Mélanie Thierry
A foundling is raised aboard the liner Virginian, becomes a piano prodigy and never sets foot on land. The ship is his entire world, from the stokehold to the first class ballroom.
The Marea scene 1900 plays the grand piano as it slides freely across the ballroom in a storm.
On set Interiors built at Cinecittà; ship patterned after RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania; fictional.
Photo: Sedgwick, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
HMHS Britannic Real ship
Britannic (2000)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Starring Edward Atterton, Amanda Ryan, Jacqueline Bisset, John Rhys-Davies
A fictionalised thriller aboard Titanic's sister ship serving as a hospital ship in 1916, in which a German spy is aboard. The real Britannic struck a mine in the Aegean and sank on 21 November 1916.
The Marea scene Nurses and wounded soldiers crowd the lifeboats as the white hospital ship with its red crosses lists heavily.
On set Studio sets at Bray Film Studios and Kempton Park Pumping Station; the real wreck lies off Kea, Greece.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
MS Antonia Graza Fictional
Ghost Ship (2002)
Directed by Steve Beck
Starring Julianna Margulies, Gabriel Byrne, Karl Urban, Desmond Harrington
A salvage crew finds the Italian liner Antonia Graza, missing since 1962, drifting in the Bering Sea. The ship is haunted by the passengers massacred aboard her.
The Marea scene A wire snaps across the ballroom dance floor in the famous opening scene.
On set Design modelled on SS Andrea Doria; 1:20 scale 35 foot model by Photon VFX; full scale bow built at Newstead, Queensland.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Arctic Warrior Fictional
Ghost Ship (2002)
Directed by Steve Beck
Starring Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies
The salvage crew's tug that tows them out to the derelict liner and is later blown up, stranding them aboard.
The Marea scene The small tug lies alongside the rusting black hull of the Antonia Graza.
On set Real tug used during filming off Queensland.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Karnak (played by PS Sudan) Fictional
Agatha Christie's Poirot: Death on the Nile (2004)
Created by Andy Wilson
Starring David Suchet, Emily Blunt, JJ Feild
The ITV Poirot adaptation of Christie's novel, with David Suchet investigating the murder of Linnet Doyle aboard a Nile cruise steamer.
The Marea scene Poirot sits on the steamer's shaded deck as the boat passes Abu Simbel.
On set Scenes filmed aboard PS Sudan, a historic paddle steamer still cruising the Nile.
Photo: Karelj, Public domain
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Poseidon Fictional
Poseidon (2006)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Starring Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum
A loose remake of the 1972 film in which a rogue wave overturns a modern transatlantic cruise ship on New Year's Eve. A small group climbs through the inverted hull to escape.
The Marea scene A towering rogue wave rears over the brightly lit Poseidon as the New Year countdown begins in the ballroom.
On set Computer generated exteriors by ILM; upright and inverted sets at Warner Bros. Burbank; ballroom inspired by RMS Queen Mary 2.
Photo: Oceanhistory46, CC BY-SA 4.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Lusitania Real ship
Sinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea (2007)
Directed by Christopher Spencer (writer Sarah Williams)
Starring Kenneth Cranham, Florian Panzner, John Hannah
A docudrama for BBC One and the Discovery Channel that follows Captain William Turner of the Lusitania and Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger of U-20 in parallel. It builds to the torpedo strike and the rapid sinking off Old Head of Kinsale.
The Marea scene Captain Turner stands on the listing bridge as passengers crowd the tilted boat deck.
On set Full scale ship sections filmed off South Africa; U-boat scenes at Bavaria Studios, Munich, using refurbished Das Boot props.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Aeolus Fictional
Triangle (2009)
Directed by Christopher Smith
Starring Melissa George, Michael Dorman, Liam Hemsworth
After their yacht capsizes, a group of friends board the seemingly deserted liner Aeolus. A time loop traps Jess aboard, repeating the same events.
The Marea scene Jess, soaked, climbs the side ladder of the Aeolus from the upturned yacht.
On set Studio sets and effects in Queensland, Australia.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Triangle Fictional
Triangle (2009)
Directed by Christopher Smith
Starring Melissa George, Michael Dorman
Greg's yacht, named Triangle, takes the friends out for a day's sailing before a sudden storm capsizes her near the Aeolus.
The Marea scene The friends cling to the overturned hull of the yacht in a flat calm.
On set Real yacht filmed off the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic Real ship
Titanic (2012)
Created by Julian Fellowes (writer); Jon Jones (director)
Starring Linus Roache, Geraldine Somerville, Toby Jones, Jenna-Louise Coleman
A four part ITV drama made for the centenary, following passengers and crew of every class. Each episode retells the voyage from a different point of view, converging on the sinking.
The Marea scene The Earl of Manton's family and their servants meet on the crowded boat deck as the last lifeboats are lowered.
On set Two tier deck sets and a 900 square metre water tank at Stern Studios, Budapest.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
RMS Titanic (under construction) Real ship
Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012)
Created by Ciaran Donnelly
Starring Kevin Zegers, Liam Cunningham, Derek Jacobi, Neve Campbell
The 12 part drama tells the story of the building of the Titanic at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, through the lives of the shipyard workers and financiers, rather than the sinking.
The Marea scene Riveters on the Arrol Gantry high above the half plated hull of the Titanic in Belfast.
On set Recreated with sets and visual effects; filmed partly in Serbia.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
S.S. Karnak Fictional
Death on the Nile (2022)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey
Branagh's Poirot investigates the shooting of heiress Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle on her honeymoon cruise aboard the Karnak.
The Marea scene Poirot stands on the upper deck as the Karnak passes the colossi of Abu Simbel.
On set A recreated boat and Abu Simbel built at Longcross Studios, Surrey.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Ocean liners and cruise ships
Ocean liner cruise to Lisbon and Alexandria Fictional
Poor Things (2023)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef
Bella Baxter and Duncan Wedderburn continue their journey on a luxury liner, where Bella discovers philosophy through two passengers while Duncan gambles. At Alexandria she sees poverty for the first time, and they are put ashore at Marseille penniless.
The Marea scene Bella on the stylised sunlit deck of the liner, reading, under a painted sky.
On set Unnamed; studio sets.
Photo: Wikipedia
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Geronimo (and America's Cup 12 metre yachts) Fictional
Wind (1992)
Directed by Carroll Ballard
Starring Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey, Cliff Robertson, Stellan Skarsgård
A young sailor loses the America's Cup for the United States and builds a new yacht, Geronimo, to win it back off Fremantle, loosely based on the 1987 Cup.
The Marea scene Geronimo heels hard in the Fremantle Doctor, crew hiked out on the rail.
On set America II syndicate boats US 42 and US 46 repainted as Geronimo and rivals; American Eagle (US 21) also used.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Teignmouth Electron Real ship
Deep Water (2006)
Directed by Jerry Rothwell and Louise Osmond
Presented by Tilda Swinton (narrator), Robin Knox-Johnston, Clare Crowhurst
A documentary reconstructing Crowhurst's voyage from his own tapes and cine film. It also follows rivals Bernard Moitessier and Robin Knox-Johnston.
The Marea scene The abandoned trimaran found drifting with the cabin empty and the logbooks on the chart table.
On set Real archive footage; original wreck on Cayman Brac.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Morning Light Real ship
Morning Light (2008)
Directed by Mark Monroe
A crew of young sailors is selected and trained to race a TP52 in the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
The Marea scene Morning Light surfing downwind under spinnaker at night.
On set The real TP52 Morning Light.
Photo: Lopo Pizarro, CC BY-SA 3.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Teignmouth Electron Real ship
Crowhurst (2017)
Directed by Simon Rumley
Starring Justin Salinger, Amy Loughton
A low budget British drama about Crowhurst's Golden Globe voyage and mental unravelling, released in the same period as The Mercy.
The Marea scene Crowhurst adrift in the doldrums on the silent trimaran.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Teignmouth Electron Real ship
The Mercy (2017)
Directed by James Marsh
Starring Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis, Ken Stott
Amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst enters the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in an untested trimaran, falsifies his position reports and disappears at sea. His boat was found drifting in July 1969.
The Marea scene Crowhurst alone in the trimaran's cramped cabin, writing his false log by lamplight.
On set Full scale replica built by Heritage Marine, now stored in Malta; the original wreck lies on Cayman Brac.
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Racing and solo sailing
Maiden Real ship
Maiden (2018)
Directed by Alex Holmes
Presented by Tracy Edwards and crew
Tracy Edwards and the first all woman crew race a refitted second hand yacht in the 1989 to 1990 Whitbread Round the World Race and win two legs.
The Marea scene Maiden, spray flying, finishes a leg with her crew waving from the deck.
On set The real yacht Maiden (built 1979), restored and sailing with The Maiden Factor, which raced the 2023 to 2024 Ocean Globe Race.
Photo: Addshore, CC BY-SA 4.0
Liners, Disasters and Survival · Refugee ships and boats
Exodus (fictional smaller ship) Fictional
Exodus (1960)
Directed by Otto Preminger
Starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson, Sal Mineo
Haganah officer Ari Ben Canaan smuggles 611 Jewish refugees from British internment camps on Cyprus aboard a cargo ship renamed Exodus. When the British blockade the harbour, the refugees begin a hunger strike aboard. The voyage was inspired by the real Exodus 1947.
The Marea scene Refugees crowding the deck of the Exodus in Famagusta harbour under a hand painted banner.
On set A ship filmed on location in Cyprus and at Haifa.
Photo: Fritz Cohen, Public domain
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- We research her. Plans, stills, the real ship used on set where there was one, and our Ai Refloat™ reconstruction when no plans survive at all.
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