Atlantis by Gerhart Hauptmann
Phooey!! Yeck!! Argh!!
Gerhart Hauptmann's Atlantis was adapted into film by the Danish director August Blom in 1913. I'd read conflicting reports on this film; some say it's about the sinking of an ocean liner while others contend there is a "legend of Atlantis" theme to it.
Well, it is about the sinking of an ocean liner. That doesn't bother me so much; but it is a boring, tedious, drawn-out story about the sinking of an ocean liner. (OK to give the benefit of the doubt here, I could be reading a poor translation. But then again, I doubt it.) Most of the tale deals with the boring (did I use that word already) goings-on aboard the ship before it sinks.
The interesting parts (and that's a stretch) are few and far between. There is philosophical discussion between two characters on themes such as "…belief that science and modern progress alone possess the power to convey happiness..". Although potentially interesting with such topics as scientific immortality and man-as-a-slave to machinery, their discussions seem to go nowhere.
Some excitement is built up for 20-odd pages when the ocean-liner finally meets its demise.
Most disappointingly, the Atlantis myth is not even mentioned until Page 390. Even that's referentially.
The film may be released on DVD in the next couple of years. I was looking forward to it. But now, I'm not so sure.
Final note: this title is not to be confused with L'Atlantide" by Pierrre Benoit which is enjoyable and used as the basis for many films on the Atlantis legend.
written: 11/2/2003
