Plot
''Atlantic'' is a drama film based on the and set aboard a fictional ship, called the ''Atlantic''. The main plotline revolves around a man who has a shipboard affair with a fellow passenger, which is eventually discovered by his wife. The ship also has aboard an elderly couple, the Rools, who are on their anniversary cruise. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean, the ''Atlantic'' strikes an iceberg and is damaged to the point where it is sinking into the Atlantic. A shortage of Lifeboat (shipboard), lifeboats causes the crew to only allow women and children in (though the captain allows a few men to take to the last remaining boats as the disaster reaches its zenith) and many couples are separated. Mrs. Rool refuses to leave her husband and after the boats are gone all the passengers gather on the deck and sing "Nearer, My God, to Thee" as the ''Atlantic'' sinks into the ocean. The final scenes depict a group of passengers saying the Lord's Prayer in a flooding lounge.Cast
Production
An urban legend claimed for many years that the movie was filmed aboard the White Star Line ship RMS Majestic, RMS ''Majestic''. However, this is probably untrue, as the White Star Line would never have permitted their current flagship to be used as a cinematic stand-in for the worst disaster in the company's history. The origin of this legend may be due to the fact that early on in the film, there is a short scene where three of the characters meet on a grand staircase. The 'set' is almost identical to the first class entrance & staircase of either 'Majestic' or her older sister, the 'Leviathan'. However, the fact that the 'set' is vast and would have been costly to build, yet appears only once in the film, does make it plausable that this scene was filmed on board one of the two ships. It is known that some scenes were actually filmed on board a P&O ship, the RMS Mooltan, ''Mooltan''. Indeed, the film was originally made as ''Titanic'' but after lawsuits it was renamed ''Atlantic''. These lawsuits were initiated by the White Star Line, which owned the RMS ''Titanic'', and which was still in operation at the time. (White Star had in fact also owned a liner called which was lost in 1873 with a heavy loss of life, but at the distance of half a century it was no longer considered as immediately traumatising as the ''Titanic''). As well, the name ''Atlantic'' is sort of ubiquitous as numerous vessels, large and small, English language and other, have held the name. The final scene of the movie was filmed as a shot of the liner sinking, but it was removed at the last minute for fear of upsetting Titanic survivors, ''Titanic'' survivors. This footage is now considered lost. A reconstruction of the original ending using an outtake from final scene of the 1953 ''Titanic (1953 film), Titanic'' film has been made available onlinSound
''Atlantic'' was one of the first British films made with the soundtrack optically recorded on the film (sound-on-film), and was Germany's first sound movie feature. In England, it was released in both sound and silent prints. The French version was the fourth French feature with sound-on-film. As the first sound film about the sinking of the ''Titanic'', it is also the first to feature the song "Nearer, My God to Thee," which is played by the ship's band and sung by passengers and crew.See also
*List of films about the RMS Titanic, List of films about the RMS ''Titanic''References
External links
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