As a TITANIC and LUSITANIA historian, I can state that few documentaries have been made on the Lusitania versus the many documentaries and movies concerning the TITANIC. Perhaps the TITANIC is the ultimate interest, being looked upon as the "largest ship ever built" (She was NOT) and also she was labeled "unsinkable" (Her builders and owners NEVER made that claim!). As the world knows, TITANIC sank on her maiden voyage. "The Sinking Of The Lusitania" is the first teleplay I know of that was made on the "Lucy" and it is based on the excellent book "Lusitania" by Diana Preston. The entire story is told through the eyes of a survivor, Ian Houlborn, a professor who befriends a young orphan, Avis Dolphin. In contrast to James Cameron's "TITANIC" (1997) whose characters were "Rose and Jack," the people in "Sinking of Lusitania" really existed. The sets are accurate, and the acting is superb! If I have to nit-pick, and being a student of both liners, I found a few discrepancies. My first and strongest error is the poor casting of the actor who played Captain William Turner. While the actor did a find job, he was made to look like the TITANIC's Captain, Edward J. Smith. Turner did not have a beard and was much shorter than the actor who played the part. It is an accurate presentation that Turner did not like to socialize with the people and preferred to be in his cabin or on the bridge. He had Staff Captain Anderson do all the "socializing." One other factual error - like Captain Smith, Captain Turner was NOT on the bridge at the time the torpedo was sighted. The Lusitania was warned that submarines were active on the Irish coast, but no warnings were sent about the sinking of "Earl of Lathom" and the "Candidate." These sinkings were to be in the same area that the Lusitania was attacked. Except for some minor errors, this is an excellent presentation and a must for anyone interested in the Lusitania. I suspect that no theatrical movies have been made because (1)a lot of material of the Lusitania incident is still classified and (2) both the U.S. and British governments discourage such a project. Regardless of the reason, it is nice to finally see a good presentation of the Lusitania disaster, which actually shocked the world more than the TITANIC sinking.Read full review
A Great Historical Film. This sinking of the Lusitania was what led to the beginning on World War One. It is a great film.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is an excellent story about this tragic sinking and is very well done. Puts you right there in the action. The shots of the ship are beautiful and all of the characters are very believable. would strongly recommend this as a great source of historical value.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Really just great! The actor chosen to portray Captain William T. Turner looks much more like her previous Captain, Daniel Dow. So, that part isn't so accurate. But the story told from 3 different side, the passengers and crew on the RMS Lusitania, crew of the U-20, and the British Admiralty, really make this movie much more than it otherwise would have been. I have watched it many times since i got it. Great Movie, Great Story! Highly recommend this!
The coverup by the British is exposed. The American coverup is not discussed. The role of the JP Morgan and his relationship with the owners of the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve is not discussed so the documentary in the end fails to explain who profited from putting the weapons on the ship and the subsequent many other efforts that eventually fooled millions of people to go to war. See http://www.teachpeace.com/teachpeacemoment9.htm to learn what the documentary fails to cover.
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs