Ghosts Of The Abyss (2003)

Ghosts Of The Abyss - 2003

Our next film comes in the form of a documentary released in theaters.  2003's "Ghosts Of The Abyss" was created by Titanic filmmaker James Cameron, and it shows his return to the wreckage of one of the world's most famous ships.

The film's participants include James Cameron, Bill Paxton, Lori Johnston, Don Lynch, Ken Marschall, Mike Cameron, Anatoly M. Sagalevitch, and Lewis Abernathy.

One of the stars of the 1997 film Titanic, Bill Paxton, narrates the opening sequence.  "I believe things can happen of such an intensity that they do resonate through time and create like an echo.  The story of the Titanic is very personal to each person who hears it, almost like a Biblical story.  This giant ship, all these people, the middle of the ocean at night, this iceberg, the warning.  What would it have been like to be there on that fateful night?"

Titanic director James Cameron has invited one of the film's stars, Bill Paxton, to join him as he returns to the ocean floor and document some more of the Titanic wreckage.  Bill joins James aboard a Russian scientific research vessel in the North Atlantic, and they head to the scene of the Titanic sinking.

Lots of prepwork has gone into the expedition.  A scaled model of the wreckage is on board, with miniatures of the robots, submersibles, and cameras so they can properly plan how they are going to explore.

After a while, they arrive at the spot where the Titanic slipped beneath the sea in 1912.

They board submersibles called Muir-1 and Muir-2 and begin the two and a half mile journey down to the ocean floor.

Once they reach the bottom, Bill is able to look out of a porthole and see some of the objects that were on the Titanic that separated from it during the sinking.

Eventually, the legendary ship comes into view.  It's lit from the top by a giant underwater chandelier called Medusa.

It soon becomes a struggle to have both passengers try to look out the window.  They see the bow of the ship and the bow anchor.

They also see a cargo hatch that empties into a black nothingness.  They gaze at the crow's nest and the door the crew used when they saw the iceberg.

After cruising around the outside of the ship, the team resurfaces, shares their collective experiences, and plans their next journey down.

They plan to use two underwater cameras that can go where the bigger submersibles can't.  The two "bots" are named Elwood and Jake.

Back down at the wreckage, Elwood and Jake are released.  Each submersible controls one of the "bots" and it's agreed that each will enter the ship and meet at the Grand Staircase.

The Grand Staircase disappeared during the sinking, leaving a large hole in the center of the ship, ideal for easy maneuvering between decks.

They go into the First Class Dining Room, and see the unbroken leaded glass windows.

One of the things I liked about this documentary is their use of existing pictures of the Titanic interior.  They found the exact same spots in the wreckage and placed the current images over the originals.

The "bots" also visited the First Class entrances, something that hadn't been seen until this expedition.

The elevators were also shown.  One of the elevators was open and you could only see an empty shaft.

Inside one of the first class staterooms, the occupant's bowler hat still sat on the dressing table.

Unbroken mirrors remained in their frames, though sand sand silt had nearly taken over the washstands and beds.

The group was looking for Molly Brown's cabin.  They had a pretty good idea of where it was, and they ended up finding a brass bed like the one she described sleeping in.

It's really striking as the cameras move through the ship to see some of the objects.

This fireplace was in the stateroom of J. Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line.

The team also found Captain Smith's bathtub in his quarters.

The A-Deck Promenade looked very eerie as it was lit from outside of the ship.

One of the lifeboat davits was still in the upright position, just as it was on the night of the sinking.

Back on the surface, the team met together and talked about what it must have been like that night.

They also talk about some of the discoveries they made, including this wash stand with upright carafes and drinking glasses.

After the expedition, the team leaves the site of Titanic's wreckage.  Bill sums it up: "I think you leave Titanic, but it never leaves you.  It's always there, and many times when I close my eyes I am suddenly back there floating over the wreck, and I feel like I am a ghost of the abyss."

Cast rundown:

   James Cameron..........................Himself

   Bill Paxton..................................Himself

   Lori Johnston..............................Herself

   Don Lynch..................................Himself/Thomas Andrews

   Ken Marschall.............................Himself/J. Bruce Ismay

   Mike Cameron.............................Himself

   Anatoly M. Sagalevitch.................Himself

   Lewis Abernathy..........................Himself

And that's it for Ghosts Of The Abyss.  At the end of the film, Bill Paxton stands on the stern of his ship and says that he can see a sort of white rainbow resting over the site of Titanic's sinking, giving it an almost ethereal feel.

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