A Night to Remember vs. Titanic

 

Of books and movies

Walter Lord's A Night to Remember  & The Night Lives On are the two classic and definitive accounts of one of the greatest maritime disasters of the early 20th Century.

Drawing heavily on accounts by survivors and other sources, A Night to Remember is a straightforward account of the tragedy,  and The Night Lives On is a more intimate record of those on board during that fateful night of April 14, 1912.

Lord's first book brings out the class distinctions on board through vivid storytelling. The book depicts how some passengers sacrificed their lives while others fought for survival, with wives beseeching husbands to join lifeboats, gentlemen going taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress, and hundreds of steerage passengers trapped below decks seeking help in vain.

The survival statistics he presents are stark: approximately 123 of the 324 first-class passengers perished, while 173 of the 284 second-class passengers died, and out of 710 third-class passengers, only 174 survived . Notably, the loss rate was higher for third-class children than first-class men, despite the "women and children first" protocol.

His second book takes a more analytical approach, revisiting the disaster after the wreck's discovery in 1985. While it explores various mysteries and theories about the sinking, it appears to examine the class issues more reflectively, questioning why certain outcomes occurred and investigating the systemic failures that particularly affected lower-class passengers.

Lord's style in both books allows the class disparities to speak for themselves through the facts.

The marvelous Titanic (1997) is certainly not an adaptation, but it’s very likely James Cameron  read Walter Lord's books.

I was able to 'enjoy' Titanic and appreciated how Cameron brought out the class distinction  between the Astors, Vanderbilts, Strausses  and the steerage class passengers.

Contrast the stately classical music played on the First Class D deck and at the top of the Grand Staircase with that lively third class party scene with the energetic Irish dancing which is one of the most memorable musical moments from the movie.

While the movie is not an adaptation, in some ways it is true to the spirit of Lord's books