A Night to Remember

Probably 3.5 stars. A very good, but not great movie depicting the last hours of the Titanic. Told from multiple points of view, the film benefits from a tight script and some excellent black and white cinematography. The fact that the cast is composed of relatively little known actors adds to a sense of realism, and there is a strong sense of grim desperation in the film. This is everything the grossly overblown "Titanic" is not. In fact, next to "Titanic" this looks like "Citizen Kane."

This is an excellent Titanic story and I recommend it to you. It gets right to it and you don't have to wait while your bun brothers (or bun sisters, as the case may be) get tired watching some insipid love story.The story centers on the second officer, played by Kenneth More, and his efforts to save passengers who are reluctant to get into the lifeboats. Good story and well done.

I have seen many "Titanic" films and have enjoyed each of them for what they are and bring to the screen. I even owned this film on VHS prior to purchasing the DVD version, but purchased it again on DVD due to VHS becoming obsolete and because I like this version of the Titanic so much for its factual interpretation of that fateful night the Titanic sank. Having said that...If you want action and drama, you have Cameron's 1997 Titanic release which is great in itself, but if you want the straight facts of what occured on the night of April 14,1912 and the morning of April 15,1912, this is a version not to be missed and in my opinion has amazing effects along with the facts that many Titanic films fail to deliver. This continues to be extraordinary to me considereing the year this film was released back in 1958, and no matter how many times I watch "A Night to Remember," I still get the chills when I try to imagine what it must of been like to be aboard the Titanic that frigid night...m... Read more

I thought this movie was a little disappointing. The events and storyline were good and I like the fact that the film focuses on the events rather than a fictional love story. However, I felt that the starring actor Kenneth More was not right for the role of Lightoller. This is not to say that he is not a good actor, but he did not bring off the charactor of Lightoller as he really was. I think that the actor (Jonathan Phillips) who portrayed Lightoller in James Cameron's film was very believable in the role. He looks almost exactly like the real Lightoller and I think that Cameron cast this role perfectly. In almost every Titanic movie I have seen, Lightoller is portrayed as flawless in every way, which is not true. I also think that Cameron portrayed him as more human. However, in Cameron's film, Lightoller had very little screen time. In spite of this, I give the film 4 stars as it is realistic as far as the actual events occured. You can still identify with the terror t... Read more

There's not much more to be said about this, the *definitive* Titanic movie. But be careful about the DVD. Mine "rotted", and is now unplayable. Search the Web - it seems to be a common problem. Criterion replaces any unplayable copies free of charge. Just be sure to check this disc every now and then - it's a gem.

Except for occasional profanity, this version of the Titanic story is far better than the current special-effect-filled version. Intense, tender in places, captivating, and suspenseful, it tells an accurate story of the drama of the Titanic as told from records of survivors with no erotic "love story" to impede the story line. If you enjoyed the recent movie, you should like this older version more. But then, I personally enjoy the older movies, especially English ones with superior acting.

After my dissapointment in the documentary of the Titanic I watched this version of the disaster. This was by far the best Titanic story I have seen and I've seen them all. The black and white doesn't even bother me. Spends more time on the actual disaster. Most of the Titanic stories turn into a soap opera. This one does not. Then there is an added bonus of the movie played again but narrated by 2 men that are experts in the disaster that explain everything. So you get 2 stories for the price of one. Worth the purchase.