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The Lusitania Disaster would make for a fast-paced Hollywood thriller..
- Thread starter PaxxAmericanus
- Start date
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Perhaps, but the tons of munitions in the cargo hold might have had a bit more to do with that secondary explosion.
The opinion resulting from inspections of the sunken hulk is the torpedo hit one of the forward Coal bunkers. Empty or partially empty the fine coal dust would turn into a Fuel/Air explosive from the gas compression wave of a torpedo hit breaking into the coal bunker. This used to happen in the mid 19th Century when standards for storing and handling Coal were not up to snuff. its similar to explosions from flour or grain dust in storage facilities. Which still occasionally happen. Get the right mix of flammable dust in the air, and then a igniter event... It is possible ammunition was stored in the Coal bunker, but that begs the question of why place it in a more unsafe location, where hauling and storage are more difficult?
From: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/lusitania-salvage-warning-munitions-1982
So yes Lusitania was carrying munitions, no they did not explode and the second explosion was likely coal dust as Dr Ballard and many others have said.
That movie was definitely not a fast paced thriller. The dialogue had a somnolent delivery, ditto the editing and pacing.
There are better writers and directors for this sort of story/cinema.
There is a movie in Lusitania’s sinking but like the Miracle on the Hudson the sinking would only be the Mid-movie climax since it is such a short event.
I think it would need to be a character action-drama rather than documentary style. Two on-off lovers being separated and lost, then reunited is cliche but it does work at the box office. Show them trying to respark things before and during the voyage. They get separated during the 18 mins of panic and destruction porn, then find each other, and their love in the green hills of Ireland after rescue.
Add in some shadowy govt types from the UK, and US to spice the mix with conspiracies about the ‘munitions’ onboard. Keep the German characters neutral, bland almost- they are simply doing a job, no judgement rendered.
Something like that.
I think it would need to be a character action-drama rather than documentary style. Two on-off lovers being separated and lost, then reunited is cliche but it does work at the box office. Show them trying to respark things before and during the voyage. They get separated during the 18 mins of panic and destruction porn, then find each other, and their love in the green hills of Ireland after rescue.
Add in some shadowy govt types from the UK, and US to spice the mix with conspiracies about the ‘munitions’ onboard. Keep the German characters neutral, bland almost- they are simply doing a job, no judgement rendered.
Something like that.
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Rattenfänger von Memphis
Donor
On this 109th anniversary of the Lusitania's sinking, I definitely think that a Lusitania movie could no doubt be an excellent thriller.
Remember that, like the aftermath of the 1912 Titanic sinking, the 1915 Lusitania sinking had many survivors who were able to tell stories and recall events from their one week’s time on board of the voyage before Lusitania’s destruction. According to Wikipedia, there were 763 Lusitania survivors.. ( Titanic had 710 survivors.).
Lusitania’s Atlantic voyage lasted a couple of days longer than the Titanic’s which, remember, was a big part of Cameron's movie. One Lusitania passenger, Elbert Hubbard, could be one of the interesting storylines told.
According to Wikipedia, Elbert Hubbard “was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher.” He died with his wife when the Lusitania was sunk by the German U-Boat. Three years before the Lusitania’s sinking, the Titanic was sunk and Hubbard had greatly admired the way survivors described how Mrs. Ida Strauss had went to her death.
The Hubbards’s last moments were observed by a Lusitania survivor :Wikipedia said:
Also the experience of the German U-Boat captain and crew could be a part of the OP’s movie. Wikipedia gives a glimpse of what the German captain Walther Schwieger saw.Wikipedia said:
Wikipedia said:
Next year would be a great release date-2025 110 years later. Makes you wonder if Titanic had been released in 2012 instead of 1997 with different actors would it have struck such a cord 15 years later? To me the answer is no because movie making really changed in that period.
The Lusatania was carrying detonator for artillery shells in her holds, she was also transporting troops, in civilian clothes (a violation of international law)
So not thread related but era related Margaret "Molly" Brown 1st class passenger from Colorado was travelling back to US with no maid. Wouldn't that have been very unusual at time, for a wealthy woman and would the Titanic have had staff to help her get dressed etc?
the cargo hold wasnt hit infact rifle ammo was found but its still "neatly stacked" surviving bombings from nato anti sub training in the late 40s a time when the wreck wasnt considered a historical site at the time
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Ignoring what really happened as that is open to arguments and none of us have been to the wreck or were there back in the day. We are left with a few facts. Not the least of these is the extremely long time that both GB and the US put on the relaese of all info they had. They kept the information restricted or classified or whatever a LOT longer then was needed for war security. This implies (at least to me) that there was something the government didn't want getting out.
And give that until divers went down to the wreck it was impossible to determine the cause of the secondary explostion or where exactly the torpedo hit and how much damage it did. It is reasonable to think that perhaps the governments were afraid that the secondary explostion was the result of something that was in the cargo hold that perhaps should not have been. Or even if the secondary explosion didnt have anything to do with classified cargo that the population may if they knew about it come to blame the government. And thus the government wrapped the sinking up in red tape and restrictions for as long as it could.
This sinking is much like many other points in History. Such as Roswell, or the Kennedy assasination or anybother number of incidents. Something happened. The information is limited or classified (or both) and conspiracy theories and conjecture try to fill in the gaps to explain it. And the more the government tries to hide it or spin it the ore exaggerated things get. Using Roswell as an example. it is obvious that SOMETHING happened. then the government released the orginal statement. then they walked that back but never explained very well what happened and why the first statement was realeased. Then they pretended nothing happened then they tried to clear it up decades latter but failed yo explain the original release and the “actual” happening as the goverment then said it was (the weather balloon with the kids play tape) just sounds A) so stupid and B) not worth hiding for decades. That many don't believe it, So many jump on the government cover up band wagon.
Thus showing that the government would have been better off not bothing yo cover it up in the first place.
Add in that the government often does dumb things that are blatently BS and this dies mot help. For example how long did they deny Area 51? But it could be seen with your own eyew if you went there. So all sorts of crazy stories started. Most of which could have bern avoided if they simply said.. yeah it exists. We teat aircraft there. Both out current and future air raft, modifications of our aircraft and prototypes and one off experiments as well as testing aircraft we got from other countries. But nope they pretend nothing is happening. And lets be honets do they think they were keeping it a secret from the USSR? So the fact that they are liying about it makes people wonder what is really happening.
This is the same aituation we get here with the sinking. Witnesses said there was two explosions. The government was unsure of what happened. With it being possible a second torpedo was used. So the government restricted its info (somewhat reasonably as the war was still going on) But it can be argued that Germany knew what they did so why hide it? Then again why keep it hidden after the war. Unless they were not trying yo kerp it hidden from Germany but were trying yo kerp it hidden from the Citizens of GB and the US.
Please note i am not saying this was the reason. I am just saying it looks bad. From the point of view. if Joe Citizen thjere is no reason to hide what happened to start with and really no reason to hide it for decades after the war. But the government in its infinite stupiddity did so. So Joe Citizen starts to wonder what reason the government has for hiding the info and starts to make up reasons in there own mind that would be worthy of the government hiding what it knows for decades.
And thus we get the ever expanding ideas such as hiding that the ahip jad troops on it in civies, or large ammo stores tagt caused the se ondar explosion or whatever. And for things like. area 51 and Roswell we get UFOs, and for Kennedy we get CIA plots and what have you.
It is funny because most of us learned at kids that the best way to hide something is to give a simple easy to dismiss answer and mot yo draw attention to the thing we dont want to discuss or to get out. And that refusing to say anything just results in whomever we are talking too (friends family teachers, cops, parents etc) assuming the worst.
But governments are to dumb to understand that the bigger the vacuum they create around aomething the more the “stories” are going to be invented to try and explain why the government is hiding something, It is just human natuure.
I had a relative break the lid on my sugar bowl and put it back. weeks later i found it broken (i dont use it much) and the fact that they tried yo hide it vs just say something and own up to it made me wonder about what else they may be hiding.
It is this kind if thing were the government hides or lies about often pointlessly dumb stuff that makes everyone doubt them all the time.
Thus we are sitting here today with most folks not trusting the government and now we get all sorts of ideas about government cover ups of the Sinking of Lusitania.
And give that until divers went down to the wreck it was impossible to determine the cause of the secondary explostion or where exactly the torpedo hit and how much damage it did. It is reasonable to think that perhaps the governments were afraid that the secondary explostion was the result of something that was in the cargo hold that perhaps should not have been. Or even if the secondary explosion didnt have anything to do with classified cargo that the population may if they knew about it come to blame the government. And thus the government wrapped the sinking up in red tape and restrictions for as long as it could.
This sinking is much like many other points in History. Such as Roswell, or the Kennedy assasination or anybother number of incidents. Something happened. The information is limited or classified (or both) and conspiracy theories and conjecture try to fill in the gaps to explain it. And the more the government tries to hide it or spin it the ore exaggerated things get. Using Roswell as an example. it is obvious that SOMETHING happened. then the government released the orginal statement. then they walked that back but never explained very well what happened and why the first statement was realeased. Then they pretended nothing happened then they tried to clear it up decades latter but failed yo explain the original release and the “actual” happening as the goverment then said it was (the weather balloon with the kids play tape) just sounds A) so stupid and B) not worth hiding for decades. That many don't believe it, So many jump on the government cover up band wagon.
Thus showing that the government would have been better off not bothing yo cover it up in the first place.
Add in that the government often does dumb things that are blatently BS and this dies mot help. For example how long did they deny Area 51? But it could be seen with your own eyew if you went there. So all sorts of crazy stories started. Most of which could have bern avoided if they simply said.. yeah it exists. We teat aircraft there. Both out current and future air raft, modifications of our aircraft and prototypes and one off experiments as well as testing aircraft we got from other countries. But nope they pretend nothing is happening. And lets be honets do they think they were keeping it a secret from the USSR? So the fact that they are liying about it makes people wonder what is really happening.
This is the same aituation we get here with the sinking. Witnesses said there was two explosions. The government was unsure of what happened. With it being possible a second torpedo was used. So the government restricted its info (somewhat reasonably as the war was still going on) But it can be argued that Germany knew what they did so why hide it? Then again why keep it hidden after the war. Unless they were not trying yo kerp it hidden from Germany but were trying yo kerp it hidden from the Citizens of GB and the US.
Please note i am not saying this was the reason. I am just saying it looks bad. From the point of view. if Joe Citizen thjere is no reason to hide what happened to start with and really no reason to hide it for decades after the war. But the government in its infinite stupiddity did so. So Joe Citizen starts to wonder what reason the government has for hiding the info and starts to make up reasons in there own mind that would be worthy of the government hiding what it knows for decades.
And thus we get the ever expanding ideas such as hiding that the ahip jad troops on it in civies, or large ammo stores tagt caused the se ondar explosion or whatever. And for things like. area 51 and Roswell we get UFOs, and for Kennedy we get CIA plots and what have you.
It is funny because most of us learned at kids that the best way to hide something is to give a simple easy to dismiss answer and mot yo draw attention to the thing we dont want to discuss or to get out. And that refusing to say anything just results in whomever we are talking too (friends family teachers, cops, parents etc) assuming the worst.
But governments are to dumb to understand that the bigger the vacuum they create around aomething the more the “stories” are going to be invented to try and explain why the government is hiding something, It is just human natuure.
I had a relative break the lid on my sugar bowl and put it back. weeks later i found it broken (i dont use it much) and the fact that they tried yo hide it vs just say something and own up to it made me wonder about what else they may be hiding.
It is this kind if thing were the government hides or lies about often pointlessly dumb stuff that makes everyone doubt them all the time.
Thus we are sitting here today with most folks not trusting the government and now we get all sorts of ideas about government cover ups of the Sinking of Lusitania.
In the stodgy era of 1915, dancing is illegal - even in international waters! Until one rebellious third-class passenger (Kevin Bacon) starts making waves. But the merciless submersible of the dance-hating Kaiser (John Lithgow) is just one step behind. Find out what happens, this summer in - Footlusitania.
Fairly certain it was more pre WW2 that it was used as a target for anti sub training, post WW2 she’s well inside a non NATO nations waters.
You might want to ask on the Titanic thread.
That’s what we need, that kind of broad comedy and big action.
I mean, where’s Roger Corman when you need him!
So, yes, “dirty up” the story. Make it R-rated. Have one character use some juicy, particularly British profanity. So much so, that an American has to translate it for his friend!
And make it sexy.
For example, have a scene which strongly hints at oral sex. Negotiate hard with the censors and take it one or two beats further than normal, even for an R-rated movie. People will remember this. In fact, have three such sexy scenes but no more than three.
And have some tragedy toward the end.
For example, have a man lose his wife. And one thing which makes it so tragic is that they shared a kink and he’s not sure he can ever find anyone like her. Maybe they liked playing spanking games complete with laughter and giggling. This is almost plain vanilla these days, but back then . . .
* I feel I’m finally getting pretty good at screenwriting, but I’ve never made a dime!
Since the story is reasonably well-known . . .
juice it up, and
sex it up!
And have at least 3 characters whose fates partially overlap and partially don’t.