Longitude
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Movie Reviews of Longitude
Movie Review: A bit melodramatic but still a creditable account of Harrison's accomplishment
Summary: 4 Stars
Harrison's effort to advance the technology of timekeeping is emblematic of a much larger story. It exposes the often intransigent nature of scientists (even the best minds in science) who are locked into a mindset that fails to even consider the possibility that there may be a better way of doing something. This video, in a melodramatic attempt to heighten the protagonist/antagonist theme, tends to portray the "establishment", personified by the Royal Astronomical Society as perhaps more close-minded and ignorant than was likely the case. Harrison's portrayal however was fairly even-handed. His all too human angry response to the men that would judge his methods rings true to the nature of humanity. Harrison was portrayed as a single-minded scientist that was as passionate in his beliefs as his judges were passionate in theirs. The biases of learned men introduced by ego and snobbery are very central to this story. All in all this was a very interesting story and a well done mini-series.Movie Review: Excellent,but "R" rated
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is excellently cast, directed and filmed. However, it went from a film that could have been used for educational purposes to one you hide from your young children by the insertion of two scenes of women's bare breasts that were totally unnecessary! That was my only disappointment. As a teacher, you always look for excellent resources that can be used in the classroom. If those two totally unnecessary scenes had been done differently (which they easily could), this film could have been used all over the U.S. in classrooms. I suspect that it's use will be much more limited now. How sad for this excellent film!Movie Review: Well told story
Summary: 4 Stars
This could easily have been a pretty boring story about how the ability to measure longitude at sea came about, but instead it was made heartfelt and interesting. The characters came alive thanks to great acting.Movie Review: A compelling story, but ...
Summary: 3 Stars
I suspect the reason I was drawn to this film was my love of gadgets. What I found was a story of a man with a passion and his decades-long battle with a prejudiced bureaucracy. Michael Gambon gives a wonderful performance as John Harrison, whose 18th century quest for an accurate timepiece that would work at sea is continuously met by a review board with a fixed agenda. Their agenda is not that of Harrison, as they steadfastly believe that a gadget is not a "scientific" solution to the problem of maritime navigation.Unfortunately, the filmmakers chose to include Rupert Gould (played by Jeremy Irons) in their story who, two centuries later, worked to reconstruct the neglected machines of Harrison. We are led to believe that, due to a lack of credentials, Gould and Harrison are a lot alike. But Gould is presented as a pathetic creature whose personal problems ruin his life, while Harrison is given as a strong-willed man who will devote his life to attaining his goal. The insight we are allowed about the workings and history of the devices, as told by Gould, would have fit nicely in the historical account. I found Gould's interruptions an irritating detraction from an otherwise compelling drama. (Without Gould's character, I could have given this 5 stars.)
I didn't find the film's length to be a problem. Gambon's portrayal of Harrison has enough to hold my interest, as is the storyline. And, while I understand this is an historically accurate story, this is more drama than docudrama. However, I don't feel that Longitude is worthy of being priced so high. This knocks off one more star for me.
Movie Review: Good adaptation of the Sobel book
Summary: 3 Stars
Dava Sobel's book "Longitude" began the recent slew of books examining some important, but obscure aspect of history. This book well dramatizes the Sobel book, but interspersed with the story of how John Harrison found a useful and practical means of finding longitude at sea, is the story of Rupert Gould (well acted by Jeremy Irons), who overcame shell shock, mental illness, and a failing marriage to restore Harrison's chronometers.Perhaps the major problem is that the stories do not mesh that well. The transitions seemed rather forced, and the effort to make the stories parallel (with Gould working on, say, the second chronometer as the Harrisons are building it) don't work to the benefit of either story. The idea seems to be to expand what isn't a terribly long book into a miniseries. Good idea, not so good in execution. The Harrisons have by far the more interesting story, and I suspect that most people (readers of the book, for example) wanted to see their story, not that of Gould.
Well set and directed, with the sea scenes especially well done (though why it was necessary to follow convention and have a flogging scene, I don't know, though that seems to be part of any sea story these days).
Michael Gambon is notable as John Harrison, playing him well both as a young man and as an elderly one. Look also for Ian Hart as the grown-up William Harrison.
DVD features include a "making of" feature, which is reasonably interesting.
Recommended.