On The Wide Seas
While great adventure stories about people and the sea are a longtime favorite, the technology to make great seagoing adventure movies took a long time to catch up. We look at the greatest seafaring adventures in movie history.
Captains Courageous (1937)
An early classic in the genre, Spencer Tracy stars as the first mate aboard the fishing schooner We’re Here, who rescues a young boy and teaches him the ways of sailing. The climactic scene of climbing the mast in a storm was very well done for its time.
MGM, Captains Courageous (1937)
Kon-Tiki (1950)
This documentary of the incredible voyage of Thor Heyerdahl and his balsa wood raft across the Pacific from South America to Polynesia won an Academy Award. Non-stop drama and fascination make this real-life adventure a must-see.
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
This ambitious adaptation of the Jules Verne adventure classic starred James Mason as Captain Nemo. The film was a major technical breakthrough, taking Academy Awards for both its special effects and its art direction. The battle with a giant squid is the major highlight.
Walt Disney, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Moby Dick (1956)
Gregory Peck plays the fanatical Captain Ahab in this adaptation of what many consider the Great American Novel. As you can imagine, the production had its challenges with the 75-foot, 12-ton whale replica drifting away in a fog bank. John Huston won Best Director at the Oscars for his efforts. Orson Welles as the preacher is a notable supporting role.
Moulin Productions Inc., Moby Dick (1956)
Mutiny On The Bounty (1962)
This ambitious movie was a flop at the box office and with critics, but was nominated for Best Cinematography and Visual Effects nevertheless. Trevor Howard’s role as the tyrannical Captain Bligh arguably outshone Marlon Brando's work as the lead mutineer.
Arcola Pictures, Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine lead this story of a disaster at sea that became the highest grossing film of 1972. The movie claimed an award for Best Visual Effects, and Gene Hackman took the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
Twentieth Century, The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Jaws (1975)
The technical difficulties of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws were legendary; at one point, a boat sank with several actors aboard! The final result of all that hard work became by far the biggest movie of 1975. The simple plot of a giant shark terrorizing a beach community is a classic, including a great performance by Robert Shaw as an old salt.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Roger Moore and Carole Bouquet starred in this James Bond adventure that featured a lengthy underwater sequence involving a submersible and high-pressure diving suits. We also learn how to escape while being dragged through the Caribbean behind a high-speed yacht! Yes, it’s far-fetched. Enjoy it for what it is!
Eon Productions, For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Das Boot (1982)
Jurgen Prochnow starred as the captain of a German U-boat in this movie (in English: The Boat) that captured the monotony, confinement, and terror of submarine duty during WWII. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the movie was one of the most expensive in German film history, but it more than recouped itself at the box office.
The Roaring Forties (1982)
This French film recounts the story of a British businessman and sailing enthusiast who disappeared in a storm during a round-the-world yacht race. Starring Jacques Perrin, Julie Christie, and Jacques Serrault, the movie was shot in the wild waters of the Atlantic off the French coast.
Cinéma 7, The Roaring Forties (1982)
The Bounty (1984)
This retelling of the famous mutiny starred Mel Gibson as the ringleader against Anthony Hopkins’ Captain Bligh. The film was praised for its technical and visual aspects, but the drama left some critics unsatisfied. It’s well worth watching for the two charismatic, but very different lead actors and its cinematography.
Dino De Laurentiis Company, The Bounty (1984)
The Big Blue (1988)
The action in this film leaves the deck and plunges into the ocean as two free divers challenge themselves and each other to reach new depths. Based on the real-life story of free divers Jacques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca. Rosanna Arquette appears in a supporting role.
Les Films du Loup, The Big Blue (1988)
The Abyss (1989)
Director James Cameron's fascination for undersea exploration and dedication to the technical side of filmmaking resulted in this fascinating underwater adventure. Starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, and Ed Harris.
Twentieth Century, The Abyss (1989)
Dead Calm (1989)
This story of danger on the high seas starred Nicole Kidman as a woman who must overcome a psychopath who takes over her and her husband’s sailboat. The film was recently named by the New York Times as one of the best 100 films ever made.
Kennedy Miller Productions, Dead Calm (1989)
Nostos: The Return (1989)
This Italian production tells the story of the return of Odysseus from his decades-long adventures in Troy and the Mediterranean. The film has been praised for its cinematography and atmospheric mood that captures the epic spirit of Homer.
Cooperativa Immagininazione, Nostos: The Return (1989)
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
A classic for the end of the Cold War, this movie is an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s bestselling book about a Soviet nuclear submarine commander (Sean Connery) who tries to defect to the West. The background theme is outdated now, but the underwater action sequences aren’t. A solid entry in the genre.
Paramount, The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Captain Ron (1992)
Kurt Russell’s role as an offbeat and unpredictable sailor hired to sail a yacht around the Caribbean didn’t win much acclaim at the time of this movie’s release. The screwball comedy is popular with those who like sailing though, and that counts for a lot!
Touchstone, Captain Ron (1992)
Wind (1992)
Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey starred in this intense story of the America’s Cup sailing race. The film has been acclaimed for having some of the most realistic sailing scenes ever. Filmed on location in the waters off Newport, Rhode Island and Perth, Australia.
American Zoetrope, Wind (1992)
White Squall (1996)
Jeff Bridges captains a sailing ship to the southern tip of South America while teaching a crew of teenagers how to sail. If that sounds challenging, it is. A desperate struggle to survive ensues when the ship is engulfed in a storm. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Hollywood Pictures, White Squall (1996)
Titanic (1997)
You can’t deny the technical ambition and achievements of the familiar James Cameron blockbuster. While the ending is known in advance, the scenes of the ill-fated Titanic are still impressive.
Twentieth Century, Titanic (1997)
Longitude (2000)
This two-episode miniseries tells the tale of the invention of a reliable chronometer, one of the major technical challenges of 18th-century sea travel. The technical problem is absorbing and there’s no shortage of drama as well. With Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons.
A+E Networks, Longitude (2000)
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Wolfgang Petersen directed this story of a commercial fishing boat caught in one of history’s biggest storms. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane lead a great cast in this shocking story of the ocean’s power.
Warner Bros., The Perfect Storm (2000)
Cast Away (2000)
The long scenes involving Tom Hanks marooned on a desert island in the Pacific are also accompanied by some incredible scenes of his ride adrift ocean currents on a wooden raft. An ocean adventure for the ages.
Twentieth Century, Cast Away (2000)
Shackleton (2002)
One of the great struggles to survive is retold in this award-winning two-part TV mini-series starring Kenneth Branagh. Shackleton (Branagh) and his 28-man crew are forced to make a terrible decision when their ship is crushed in the pack ice of the sea in the Antarctic.
A+E Networks, Shackleton (2002)
Finding Nemo (2003)
You're darn right Finding Nemo belongs on this list! The endearing tale of a determined clownfish and his son Nemo is an adventure for people of all ages. The movie was the first Pixar production to take home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
If you wanted to choose one movie from this list to watch, this adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s novel just might be the one. A triumph of cinematography with a great adventure story that never lets up, the movie also takes us on a tour of the Galapagos Islands. One of the great sea battle scenes rounds out the non-stop entertainment.
Twentieth Century, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
The highest rated installment of the big-budget Disney series, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, and Keira Knightley star in this extravaganza of non-stop action and special effects. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the film won an Oscar for its fight choreography.
Walt Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean, (2003)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Wes Anderson directed this epic loosely based on French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. Bill Murray leads an ensemble cast in this film that is better regarded now than it was when it was first released.
Touchstone, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Life Of Pi (2012)
This unusual film about a boy stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a Bengal tiger won Ang Lee the Academy Award for Best Director. Filmed in a giant wave tank, the film also won Oscars for its cinematography and visual effects.
Ingenious Media, Life of Pi (2012)
Kon-Tiki (2012)
This Norwegian production depicts Thor Heyerdahl’s 4,300-mile voyage across the Pacific Ocean in his balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki. Filmed in the waters around the island of Malta, the movie was nominated for an Academy award for Best Foreign Language Film.
All Is Lost (2013)
This tale of being lost at sea after a storm starred Robert Redford and was directed by JC Chandor. With one cast member and 51 spoken words in the entire script, the story isn’t complicated, but it's one of the greatest sea adventures of recent years.
Roadside Attractions, All Is Lost (2013)
Turning Tide En Solitaire (2013)
After failing to win a round-the-world sailing race, a sailor stops near the Canary Islands to repair his damaged boat. He’s making his way across the Atlantic Ocean when he discovers he has an uninvited guest on board for the sailing adventure of his life.
Scope Pictures, Turning Tide (2013)
Maidentrip (2014)
This documentary features 14-year-old Laura Dekker’s quest to sail alone around the world, making her the youngest person ever to accomplish the remarkable feat. The movie focuses on the day-to-day challenges of the two-year journey in one of the great adventure stories of our time.
CoPilot Pictures, Maidentrip (2013)
In The Heart Of The Sea (2015)
A recreation of the 1820 sinking of the whaling ship Essex by a whale, an incident that supposedly inspired the novel Moby Dick (1851). This film starred Cillian Murphy and Chris Hemsworth and was directed by Ron Howard.
Warner Bros., In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
Adrift (2018)
One of the greatest depictions of a storm at sea and its devastating power, this film was based on the true story of a couple on a dream voyage that turns into a nightmare. Starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin, Adrift is another outstanding entry in the “survival at sea” category of movies.
Maiden (2018)
This documentary traces the journey of Tracy Edwards, who quits her job as a cook on a sailboat to enter into the Whitbread Round the World Race in charge of an all-female crew. A record of a nine-month, 33,000 mile trip that depicts sailing in all its glory and terror, the film is a tribute to one woman's willingness to risk everything to pursue the ultimate adventure.
New Black Films, Maiden (2018)
The Sea Rolls On
Today's technology has made great seagoing adventure movies more realistic than ever, but as we can see from the list, some of the greatest movies in the genre are documentaries. It just goes to show that all you really need for success is a boat, a crew, and the endless expanse of the wild ocean.
