I suffered my way through all one hundred and ten comments that were listed to date about this movie, and the four comments on the message board. THANK YOU MR. VALENTINE, WHOEVER YOU ARE!!! Valentine wrote the most cogent notes about the movie from them all. Do yourselves a service and go read his notes on the message board.
I am STUNNED that most of the comments of this movie were negative in the first place, but even the positive comments indicated that this movie was just over everybody's heads. First of all, this movie was THE movie that started the grand movie making of "disaster films". This is actually very important, because this particular movie was NOT made with the purpose of BEING a "disaster movie". It is an allegory. Anyone out there know what an allegory is? Yes, class, it is a story about one thing, that is actually portraying some other story that most people know. It is done for various reasons, but I believe the reason here was for the purpose of putting a very old, possibly outdated story, into a present setting, so it could be understood in modern day. For any of you out there who are familiar with the New Testament, think of the parables. Now...what does a parable do? It tells us a story, but the story has a deeper meaning. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is an allegory. It may or may not be politically correct in this day and age, but when it was made no one really cared. Several commentators have mentioned the book by Paul Gallico. While I have liked some of his work, I actually think that the movie improved upon it by leaps and bounds. But then I guess I am more of the persuasion of the movie maker than the "diametrically opposed" view of the original writer. Tough. The movie is the movie.
It is the story of someone who is preaching a new kind of religion, as opposed to the preacher who wears the traditional black with a backward collar. The two can sense a kinship for each other, but disagree about the way a clergyman ought to be. Is the class beginning to get it yet? OK, we'll carry on. All the characters are encompassed in a great, big, boat (think 'world'), so there are no additions or subtractions for our allegory's (story's) sake. We have a cataclysm. Some die at the first. We know that others at top were lost. Others hold on. Things settle for a bit. Then comes the disagreement about how to get saved (get it, "saved"). Most want to wait for a nonspecific someone to save them. They plan to sit and wait until that nonspecific someone comes to get them out of what is now the bowels of the ship, since it capsized. But the Reverend with the new ideas, grabs hold of something that a child says (get that, "and a little child shall lead them"). The Reverend Scott is not content to wait. He says "I know the way out of here. Come with me. Follow me", or words VERY close to that effect. Are we recognizing anything yet, class? He and his followers are creative in using the huge Christmas tree as a ladder to go UPWARDS (get it, up, up, up, as opposed to down further). He begs the others to come with his small group. But only just a very few do. Most do not. . . until. . . another explosion, and there is panic, and then because they have panicked, too many try to climb the tree/ladder, and it falls back DOWN. And the Reverend says to his people, that they can not take the time to mourn those that are lost now. They must persevere to try to find the hull which is now the TOP of the ship. Anyone out there know their New Testament and what was said about leaving mother, father, sister, brother, and "come and follow", . . .who? And so the journey begins.
Some places are not bad going, other places are dangerous, and very scary. Some intersections appear to be the end of the way, that there can be no way past, but with the help of Reverend Scott and the others using their own ingenuity, they find ways and means. At one hallway, they find a group going the opposite direction, and though it seems to those people the way to the top, it is the way to the former top. But they will not listen. They are firm in their pathway to the BOTTOM (going down anyone?). On go the little group of followers of the Reverend. Some DOUBT some of the choices, but end up going anyway. Others are devoted to the charismatic religious leader. Sound like anyone in history you have heard of class? Sadly, though all his group are trying, some lose their hold and fall. Some are not strong enough to make it all the way to the hull and are lost. And one sacrifices herself for her fellow human beings to help them get through an almost impossible, impassible underwater way.
Then comes the final hellish room of heat and long falls. There is a door that can get them through to the other side of it, but it has to be opened by a round GATE-like turning apparatus (seen only on boats). Who can do it, risking their life? Who is strong enough? Who has the courage to face that almost certain death? Who questions God about the only way to open that door? Who says I will do this for these people? I will do it for these brave good people, but you (God) better get them through if I do this? Yes, students, it is the Reverend Scott. And he SACRIFICES his own life, so that the ones left with him, will have a fighting chance at getting out of the ship. And those that do get to the hull are worn out, and sad, and can not believe that the Reverend did that for them. Some would almost have rather died with him, than to be left behind without him. But still they persevered. They got to the hull. They are lifted out and carried on the wings of . . . helicopters (or angels, whichever). They are SAVED. Yes, class, dear students (even the student of film who never understood the significance), dear Readers, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is an "allegory" (look it up in the dictionary if you doubt my meaning of the word). Even the best of the "disaster films" that followed, had, at the most, an interesting story to go with the dynamics of the disaster. This movie. . . was the story of a saviour.
Now, go and watch the movie again, and keep it in mind.
I am STUNNED that most of the comments of this movie were negative in the first place, but even the positive comments indicated that this movie was just over everybody's heads. First of all, this movie was THE movie that started the grand movie making of "disaster films". This is actually very important, because this particular movie was NOT made with the purpose of BEING a "disaster movie". It is an allegory. Anyone out there know what an allegory is? Yes, class, it is a story about one thing, that is actually portraying some other story that most people know. It is done for various reasons, but I believe the reason here was for the purpose of putting a very old, possibly outdated story, into a present setting, so it could be understood in modern day. For any of you out there who are familiar with the New Testament, think of the parables. Now...what does a parable do? It tells us a story, but the story has a deeper meaning. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is an allegory. It may or may not be politically correct in this day and age, but when it was made no one really cared. Several commentators have mentioned the book by Paul Gallico. While I have liked some of his work, I actually think that the movie improved upon it by leaps and bounds. But then I guess I am more of the persuasion of the movie maker than the "diametrically opposed" view of the original writer. Tough. The movie is the movie.
It is the story of someone who is preaching a new kind of religion, as opposed to the preacher who wears the traditional black with a backward collar. The two can sense a kinship for each other, but disagree about the way a clergyman ought to be. Is the class beginning to get it yet? OK, we'll carry on. All the characters are encompassed in a great, big, boat (think 'world'), so there are no additions or subtractions for our allegory's (story's) sake. We have a cataclysm. Some die at the first. We know that others at top were lost. Others hold on. Things settle for a bit. Then comes the disagreement about how to get saved (get it, "saved"). Most want to wait for a nonspecific someone to save them. They plan to sit and wait until that nonspecific someone comes to get them out of what is now the bowels of the ship, since it capsized. But the Reverend with the new ideas, grabs hold of something that a child says (get that, "and a little child shall lead them"). The Reverend Scott is not content to wait. He says "I know the way out of here. Come with me. Follow me", or words VERY close to that effect. Are we recognizing anything yet, class? He and his followers are creative in using the huge Christmas tree as a ladder to go UPWARDS (get it, up, up, up, as opposed to down further). He begs the others to come with his small group. But only just a very few do. Most do not. . . until. . . another explosion, and there is panic, and then because they have panicked, too many try to climb the tree/ladder, and it falls back DOWN. And the Reverend says to his people, that they can not take the time to mourn those that are lost now. They must persevere to try to find the hull which is now the TOP of the ship. Anyone out there know their New Testament and what was said about leaving mother, father, sister, brother, and "come and follow", . . .who? And so the journey begins.
Some places are not bad going, other places are dangerous, and very scary. Some intersections appear to be the end of the way, that there can be no way past, but with the help of Reverend Scott and the others using their own ingenuity, they find ways and means. At one hallway, they find a group going the opposite direction, and though it seems to those people the way to the top, it is the way to the former top. But they will not listen. They are firm in their pathway to the BOTTOM (going down anyone?). On go the little group of followers of the Reverend. Some DOUBT some of the choices, but end up going anyway. Others are devoted to the charismatic religious leader. Sound like anyone in history you have heard of class? Sadly, though all his group are trying, some lose their hold and fall. Some are not strong enough to make it all the way to the hull and are lost. And one sacrifices herself for her fellow human beings to help them get through an almost impossible, impassible underwater way.
Then comes the final hellish room of heat and long falls. There is a door that can get them through to the other side of it, but it has to be opened by a round GATE-like turning apparatus (seen only on boats). Who can do it, risking their life? Who is strong enough? Who has the courage to face that almost certain death? Who questions God about the only way to open that door? Who says I will do this for these people? I will do it for these brave good people, but you (God) better get them through if I do this? Yes, students, it is the Reverend Scott. And he SACRIFICES his own life, so that the ones left with him, will have a fighting chance at getting out of the ship. And those that do get to the hull are worn out, and sad, and can not believe that the Reverend did that for them. Some would almost have rather died with him, than to be left behind without him. But still they persevered. They got to the hull. They are lifted out and carried on the wings of . . . helicopters (or angels, whichever). They are SAVED. Yes, class, dear students (even the student of film who never understood the significance), dear Readers, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is an "allegory" (look it up in the dictionary if you doubt my meaning of the word). Even the best of the "disaster films" that followed, had, at the most, an interesting story to go with the dynamics of the disaster. This movie. . . was the story of a saviour.
Now, go and watch the movie again, and keep it in mind.