15 incredibly beautiful films about the sea

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Be sad with the heroes of "Titanic", laugh at Jack Sparrow's antics and admire the outlandish world of Wes Anderson.

1. Amphibian man

• USSR, 1961.
• Fantastic melodrama.
• Duration: 92 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The owner of the pearl artel, the insidious Pedro Zurita, intends to hunt down and catch a mysterious creature that the fishermen of Buenos Aires called the sea devil. The monster actually turns out to be a beautiful young man named Ichthyander. Thanks to the fantastic abilities received from a talented scientist, the hero can easily swim underwater. Once Ichthyander rescues the charming girl Gutiere from death. And this meeting changes their lives forever.

The script of the film based on the science fiction novel by Alexander Belyaev lay on the shelf for a long time. The fact is that the technical progress of that time did not allow for complex underwater surveys. To implement the bold idea, cameraman Eduard Rozovsky came up with a number of devices. Among them were sealed underwater boxes for cameras and a special mesh lens attachment that "adds" live swimming fish to the frame. Unfortunately, later the inventions of the operator turned out to be of no use to anyone.

At a recent press conference in Moscow, Quentin Tarantino made an unexpected confession. It turned out that as a child, the director of "Pulp Fiction" and "Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood" adored "Amphibian Man" and watched it many times.

2. Blue Abyss

• France, USA, Italy, 1988.
• Adventure melodrama.
• Duration: 132 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Enzo Molinari and Jacques Mayol grew up together on the shores of the Mediterranean. Many years pass. Enzo becomes a world famous diver, but his most cherished dream is to compete with Jacques. The successful outcome of these competitions is in question, because Enzo and Jacques are too serious rivals.

At the time of its release, Luc Besson's film was not appreciated. The picture failed at the American box office, and in Cannes it was booed at all. True, along with criticism, Blue Abyss received two French Cesar awards: for musical accompaniment and sound.

The plot of the tape is inspired by real events from the life of the famous French diver Jacques Mayol. The latter was present on the set as a consultant and helped the creators in every possible way while working on the script.

3. Abyss

• USA, 1989.
• Fantastic adventure thriller.
• Duration: 145 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

An American submarine is sinking in the Caribbean. During a rescue operation at the bottom, employees of an underwater oil platform meet with a mysterious creature.

Director James Cameron has been studying UFO chronicles in the Bermuda region for a long time. It was these materials that formed the basis for the plot of "The Abyss". The film won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. At the same time, there were not many computer graphics in the picture, and the shooting was carried out at an unfinished nuclear power plant.

4. Water world

• USA, 1995.
• Post-apocalyptic action movie.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 2.

After a worldwide ecological catastrophe, the entire Earth is covered with water. Among the few survivors, there has long been a legend about the only surviving piece of land. And for many people, the search for this promised land becomes a matter of a lifetime.

Despite all the entertainment, atmosphere and flamboyant performance of Kevin Costner, the film did not pay off in the United States and remained one of the largest box office failures in Hollywood history. Probably, the fate of the film was influenced by the decision to cut out about 40 minutes from the theatrical version. Because of this, the plot became less intelligible.

5. Titanic

• USA, 1997.
• A melodramatic disaster film.
• Duration: 194 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The infamous liner Titanic makes its first and last voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Against the backdrop of an impending catastrophe, the love story of a girl from high society and a poor artist unfolds.

After the release of The Abyss, Cameron continued to be interested in the underwater world. This theme was reflected in the epochal melodrama "Titanic", which won 11 Oscars.

Especially for filming the interiors of the sunken ship, the director's brother developed a system of underwater cameras. But since the cameras could not work for long due to the small amount of film, the material had to be removed in parts.

6. Knockin 'on the skies

• Germany, 1997.
• Crime lyric comedy.
• Duration: 87 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Fate brings the terminally ill Martin and Rudy together in the clinic ward. After some time, they find out that they are given a few days. When it turns out that Rudy has never seen the sea, his comrades in misfortune set off on their last journey in a rare Mercedes.

No subsequent work by director Thomas Yan has had such a success as Knockin 'on Heaven. The dialogues of the heroes about the sea quickly became cult, as did the scene in which Martin and Rudy admire the sea distance to Bob Dylan's song Knockin 'On Heaven's Door.

7. Outcast

• USA, 2000.
• Adventure drama.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

After the plane crash, Chuck Noland, an employee of the world famous delivery service, finds himself all alone on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Now he needs not only to survive, but also to figure out how to return to the civilized world: after all, Noland's house is waiting for his beloved.

The episode in which the hero of Tom Hanks finds a volleyball and calls it Wilson, screenwriter William Broyles came up with after spending a week on an isolated beach in the Gulf of California. Once the playwright saw a volleyball thrown ashore. This led him to think about how you can create dialogues in a film where the main character is constantly alone.

The image of Wilson became the hallmark of the film, and Tom Hanks received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Film.

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

• USA, 2003.
• Adventure action comedy.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Journeyman Will Turner teams up with the charming and eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow. The first intends to save his beloved Elizabeth Swann from a gang of ghostly thugs, and the second - to return his ship "Black Pearl", which was stolen from him by Captain Barbossa.

Working on the resilient Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp was inspired by watching the behavior of British guitarist Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. The fact is that the actor wanted to portray his character as a real rock star. And the special "drunken" gait of Sparrow, according to Depp, is the result of the fact that the hero often walks on the deck of the ship.

9. Aquatic life

• USA, 2004.
• Lyrical adventure comedy.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The once popular oceanographer Steve Zissou has become a laughingstock after claiming that his old friend was eaten by a huge shark. Everyone believes that the old man invented this story, but Zissu still intends to go in pursuit of the predator and take revenge.

To depict the outlandish fauna of the underwater world, director Wes Anderson used a time-lapse method: puppet models of marine life were brought to life using stop-motion animation.

And the little red riding hood worn by the character of Bill Murray is a direct reference to the famous French submariner Jacques Yves Cousteau. The film is officially dedicated to the memory of this outstanding researcher.

10. Kon-Tiki

• Norway, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, 2012.
• Historical adventure drama.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

The tape tells the true story of the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl, who managed to sail on a makeshift Kon-Tiki raft from South America to Polynesia. The hero wanted to prove that the South American Indians could cross the Pacific Ocean and populate the Polynesian islands.

The first picture about the Kon-Tiki expedition was documentary. Moreover, Thor Heyerdahl himself took it off during his trip. In 1952, the work won the Oscar for the best feature-length documentary.

The game tape could have been filmed back in the mid-1990s. But for various reasons, it was released only 63 years after the documentary version and 11 years after the death of Heyerdahl.

11. Captain Phillips

• USA, 2013.
• Biographical thriller.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The motion picture is based on a true story that took place in 2009. Merchant sailors - Captain Richard Phillips and his crew - are attacked by Somali pirates. Despite resistance from the crew, four Somalis nevertheless climb aboard and take the captain hostage.

The dramatic film directed by Paul Greengrass, the "father" of the Jason Bourne film franchise, was warmly received by audiences and critics. The latter especially highlighted the powerful work of Tom Hanks, who played the title role.

True, the real heroes of this story - the crew members of the Maersk Alabama ship - do not agree with the director's version of what happened. The New York Post even published Crew members: 'Captain Phillips' is one big lie revelatory article in which sailors criticized Phillips' positive image.

12. Hope will not fade away

• USA, 2013.
• Adventure thriller.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

The unnamed hero sets sail on the Indian Ocean in his sailing ship and is shipwrecked. There is no way to call for help, so a man will have to apply all his skills and knowledge to stay alive.

Independent filmmaker JC Chandor directed a low-budget yet gripping one-man theater-style film. The action takes place in a single location, and the hero hardly speaks.

The film was highly appreciated by critics, and the leading actor Robert Redford was nominated for a Golden Globe. But he did not receive this award. But the "Golden Globe" for the best soundtrack was awarded to composer Alex Ebert.

13. In the heart of the sea

• USA, 2015.
• Historical adventure drama.
• Duration: 122 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

The film tells the true story of the American whaling ship Essex. Once a giant sperm whale attacked the ship, after which the sailors had to transfer to boats and fight for survival in the middle of the ocean for more than three months.

These same events formed the basis of one of the most famous books ever written in America - the novel by Herman Melville "Moby Dick". One of the events that inspired the writer was the tragedy of Essex.

The flamboyant Hollywood director Ron Howard decided not to make another adaptation of Moby Dick, which has already been transferred to the screen more than once, but to make a movie based on a lesser-known plot. At the same time, the connection between the film and Moby Dick is emphasized: the film begins with a visit by Herman Melville to the elderly Thomas Nickerson, who once served on the Essex as a cabin boy.

14. And the storm burst

• USA, 2016.
• Historical drama, disaster film.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Insecure Coast Guard Bernie Webber is about to marry the pretty girl Miriam, but first he needs to get permission from the station commander. On the day the hero is about to do this, a violent storm breaks out, and two oil tankers find themselves in a difficult situation off the coast of New England. At his own peril and risk, Bernie, along with a team of three volunteers, is sent to the rescue.

The film is based on the true story of one of the most heroic water rescue missions that took place in 1952. Thanks to the courage of the Coast Guard, it was possible to save many of the crew of the ship, which was torn in half by the storm.

15. Dunkirk

• UK, USA, France, Netherlands, 2017.
• War drama.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The film is based on real events that took place at the beginning of World War II. The plot revolves around the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of British, French and Belgian soldiers trapped in the Dunkirk area. The non-linear narrative unfolds simultaneously on land, sea and air.

Previously, director Christopher Nolan has not yet filmed military-themed films. However, he has repeatedly emphasized that Dunkirk is a film, first of all, not about war, but about people. Most of the footage was filmed with IMAX cameras with a minimum of visual effects. And for the scenes on the water, the film crew found several historic ships.