Britannic

Plot synopsis:
In Southampton in 1916, HMHS Britannic, a sister ship of RMS Titanic, has been refitted as a hospital ship for soldiers fighting in the Gallipoli Campaign. Among the nurses who are to serve aboard her is Lady Lewis (Jacqueline Bisset), who is being delivered to Greece via Naples, where her husband has become Ambassador for Great Britain. Traveling with her is Vera Campbell (Amanda Ryan), an operative of British Intelligence posing as Lady Lewis' governess. Campbell is unnerved by the voyage, having survived the sinking of the Titanic four years previously, losing her husband as well. She reports her mission to Captain Bartlett (John Rhys-Davies) who is dubious that a woman can do such a job.
A German spy has boarded the Britannic posing as the ship's chaplain, Chaplain Reynolds (Edward Atterton), and soon discovers that the Britannic is carrying a large amount of small arms and munitions bound for Cairo. Under the articles of war, Reynolds considers his actions against the Britannic to be legal and initiates a series of sabotage attempts to either take over the Britannic or sink her, including inciting the Irish stokers, all members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, to mutiny.
Each sabotage attempt is foiled by Vera Campbell - with the eventual co-operation of the ship's crew. Unaware that Campbell is responsible, Reynolds finds himself growing attracted to Campbell whilst the voyage continues. As the two of them spend time together, they fall in love and Campbell has sex with Reynolds before discovering his true identity.
Reynolds blows a hole in the port side bow of the ship. The Britannic, mortally damaged, tries sailing for Kea island seven miles away, but the beaching operation causes the hospital ship to sink even faster. Campbell discovers that William, one of Lady Lewis's children, has disappeared. Reynolds helps her and they manage to get the boy to the lifeboat before it is lowered. Another massive explosion causes Reynolds to be trapped in a flooding room. Campbell helps Reynolds escape and the two of them make their way through the ship, swimming through flooded rooms, vents, grates, and corridors. They make it outside and notice a lifeboat filled with evacuees getting pulled into the still spinning propellers. They watch in horror as the lifeboat is smashed to pieces by the spinning blades. Reynolds ties Campbell to a line that was thrown from Lady Lewis's lifeboat. Despite her protests that they both can be pulled to safety, Reynolds throws her into the sea after kissing her. Reynolds commits suicide as he is also pulled into the propellers. A few moments later, the ship rapidly rolls over, causing the funnels and deck machinery to tumble into the sea as the Britannic sinks beneath the waves. A warship, HMS Victoria, arrives to rescue the survivors. Vera quotes the poem "Roll on, Thou..." from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron.

Tags: philosophical, murder

Review:
LOL.Some of the previous "reviewers" seem to have forgotten that this TV Movie wasn't intended to be a history class!If you're looking for a documentary on the Britannic this isn't it.If you're looking for a well acted,entertaining hour and half than you might like this movie.I do agree with the person who mentioned the cheesy special effects and some of the cringe-inducing dialoge..
Firstly the facts:R.M.S.Britannic was the third of the "Olympic" class of liners to be launched by White Star from Harland & Woolf's shipyard in Belfast after the original "Olympic" (1910) and "Titanic" (1911).She was launched in 1914 but due to the outbreak of the First World War in Britain in August of that year, was requisitioned by the Admiralty and soon converted into a hospital ship with her distinct white hull and huge red cross on her sides.On her 6th outward voyage to the island of Mudros (Greece) she was either torpedoed or mined in the Kea channel in November 1916.The actual cause is still something of a mystery and I presume this doubt partly inspired the "plot".Lessons had been learnt from the earlier loss of "Titanic" (1912), notably the cellular double bottom, higher watertight bulkheads together with distinctive and exaggerated davits from each of which several lifeboats could quickly be launched.
Mercifully there was minimal loss of life since it only had the White Star crew and medical staff onboard who were going to tend the casualites arising from Winston Churchill's ill advised Gallipoli campaign (1915) which he ordered when acting as First Lord of the Admiralty.Had this tragedy occurred after embarkation of the troops, the disaster could have become monumental.As one perceptive critic has observed below, one Violet Jessop had the dubious distinction in serving as steward/nurse on all the three aforementioned sister ships but was not mentioned in the film.It seems almost "de rigeur" in all these type of marine disaster films to have a  fictional slushy love story wrapped up in a few facts.We had Robert Wagner and Audrey Dalton in "Titanic"(1953) Leonardo de Caprio and Kate Winslet in "Titanic" (1997) to name but two.I have read Robert Ballard's account of his expedition to the wreck which is still in remarkable condition lying on her starboard side when compared to what is left of "Titanic".I also have another video which explores the second explosion (the first being caused either from a German mine or torpedo) and whether this was caused by igniting coal dust or cold water causing the exposed boilers to explode.The most fascinatng part of the film was what appeared to be authentic newsreel footage of the launching of "Britannic" as I had never seen this before.As regards the film itself, it can only be judged on entertainment value alone.Present are the usual Hollywood stereotypes of "Irish Freedom Fighters"  given free reign in a wildly imaginative plot adequatly dealt with by my fellow reviewers below.
Violet Jessop fractured her scull in the water as the ship ploughed on while her rising propellers still turned and I assume this gave rise to the suicidal scene where the German agent commits virtual suicide while sitting in his life boat as it advances towards them without making an effort to avoid them.This was at odds with his desperate escape earlier.On enertainment value alone I rated it 5/10..
I didn't think Britannic would be particularly good as it is a made for TV movie and they tend not to be too memorable but I was pleasantly surprised.
Naturally the effects are not as good as those in James Cameron's film.
There is quite a bit of suspense in it and the presence of the two kids makes it a good family film.
Britannic starts off quite well, with relatively good effects and interesting characters, although its claim of being "based on true events" is very misleading, somewhat similar to saying that Men In Black was based on true events as Earth, where it was based, existed.
The Britannic did indeed sink off Greece, although the sinking was believed due to a torpedo strike or mine, not German agents on board the ship as the film pretends.
Too many facts are wrong in this film, either made up or worse still blatantly contradicting the real event - but taken as a work of total fiction, which it basically is, it is still enjoyable.
That said, it just copies its sibling, James Cameron's Titanic, far too much - too many things in this film are copies of Titanic's plot, right down to the love story between two people of different classes - in this case German and British rather than First Class and Third Class.
The film weakens noticeably towards the end, the special effects (which seem to have been quickly put together by the same effects house as for Titanic, but with little of the attention to detail) get a lot poorer, and the plot falls to pieces in its attempts to copy the Titanic formula.
hodgepodge telling of the fate of Titanic's sister ship.
I wouldn't say this movie was tacked together to take advantage of the Cameron Titanic's fame and box office success.
First off it's made for t.v. and contrary to how the film tells the story of Britannic, there are some pretty good CGI effects.
Perhaps that's what documentaries are for as in the Discovery Channel's excellent docu on the Britannic's story and filming of her wreck.
Like I said there are CGi effects in this that could rival the Cameron Titanic.
The story concerns a female undercover agent recruited by the British in 1916 to fish out a German Spy on the ship.
The film makers spend much time recreating  and touring different sections of the Britannic as they tell their story.
John Rhys-Davies as the Captain is improbable here(he doesn't look anything like the Britannic's real Captain Bartlett).
I watched the movie, prepared for the usual fluff T.V. movie fare, but I was thrilled to discover a very fine, well acted movie with a gripping plot and excellent special effects.The film has some weak points: historical fact takes a bit of a beating, and the plot suffers from the usual tendency of T.V. movies to give away the plot and the motivations of its characters too soon.
It succeeds in showing off some new acting talent, and it illustrates how good a T.V. movie can be, if given time and a good storyline.This movie also showcases the latest in special effects: the HMHS Britannic of this movie rivals James Cameron's Titanic in the way David Beavis creates the largest (though least-known) passenger liner ever created.
While the FX sometimes seem a bit too polished, they are certainly worthy of the best movie effects technicians.Both Amanda Ryan and Edward Atterton give good quality performances as the main protagonists, both of whom are haunted by conflicting loyalties and self-doubt.
John Rhys-Davies does his usual competent job as the stiff-upper-lipped captain of the great liner, and Bruce Payne (of Passenger 57 fame) pulls off a small but convincing part as the ship's doctor.All in all, a stirring adventure yarn.
This film isn't a top movie exactly but its history is interesting.
The Titanic is world famous for its destiny but her sister the Britannic who followed the same fate is almost forgotten.
The "special effects" are nothing to write home about,and there is some corny dialogue,but it is entertaining to watch.The acting is terrific by all the actors,but the two kids got on my nerves.If you're a fan of Ryan,than you'll love it;she is wonderful in the role of Vera Campbell,and she is in practically every scene..
At the end of this Fox Family Channel original movie, you find out that Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, actually sank in 51 minutes -- twice as fast as Titanic.Unfortunately, the movie sails for two hours and the plot begins taking on water long before the ship does.
It becomes tiresome and plodding at times and, although a few scenes are compelling, the film fails to generate the excitement that one would expect from a "based on fact" sea tale.The good news is that only 30 people lost their lives when the real Britannic went down.
Not half as good as TITANIC, but still somewhat entertaining..
The latter TITANIC was not the epic film about the perilous disaster that the ship beheld when it crashed into an iceberg.
No, TITANIC was a mediocre love story written around the ship's disaster.
And, this film made the pathetic mistake a few years ago, to try and rip off the success of that first movie with making a TV "special" about the tragic journey of Titanic's sister ship (this TV special also included about a zillion commercials).
The characters are even less interesting than they were in TITANIC, and the special effects and camerawork and not nearly as good.
And this is not a good thing, especially since the producers obviously made sure that everyone knew this film was coming, so that they would watch it.
It is just another average film based on your true story (with the facts altered of course) and tries to rip off of the success of its predecessor.
30 or so people died when the H.M.H.S Britannic sank, 55 minutes after striking a mine, and this is how we respect them?I am shocked at the fact that the film makers had the nerve to use the name Britannic in this steaming pile of a movie.Don't even bother seeing this movie for yourself, the real story is far more dramatic.
For instance, Violet Jessop, who was a nurse on the Britannic, was also on the Titanic 4 years earlier, and she was onboard the Titanic's other sister ship, the R.M.S. Olympic, when she collided with the British cruiser, the H.M.S. Hawke, in 1911.
HiI loved this film, i thought it would be dull but it was exciting and the actors where very good, if people think it will be like Titanic then they are wrong this films story is much better and its about time there was a film made on the Britannic.Thanks quacker31.
But, the story, I personally thought, was very neat and the effects and settings were very well done and looked very true to life.
A cheap cash-in on TITANIC, replacing the heading-for-an-iceberg storyline with one involving a German agent (this is set during the First World War) with plans to sabotage the titular hospital ship.
Sadly, Britannic isn't one of his better films, as it's an entirely forgettable escapade which pales in comparison to just about any other seafaring movie you can mention.
The leads are dull, the only cast interest comes from three B-flick veterans (John Rhys-Davies, delightful as the gruff captain; Bruce Payne, not a bad guy for a chance; Wolf Kahler in his usual typecast role) and the most offensive part of the story is that we're supposed to buy a romance between the female agent and the German spy!
The thin as air plot is based on rumours surrounding the sinking of the ship in 1915, that hold extremely little weight.
The Britannic's tragic story will never generate the same interest or emotion as that of her more famous sister ship.
Still, the Britannic met an even more mysterious fate and does constitute the world's largest shipwreck (the Britannic having been 20 feet longer than Titanic).This brings us to the 2000 made-for-TV movie.
It wasn't until near the climax that some disturbing anachronisms and very unlikely character behaviors began to seriously take away from my enjoyment.The film features Amanda Ryan as governess/British intelligence agent Vera Campbell, along with would-be chaplain/German intelligence agent/saboteur Father Reynolds (Edward Atterton).
The cast is solid, though, also including John Rhys-Davies as Captain Barrett and Ben Daniels as First Officer Townsend.SPOILERSThere is certainly plenty of room for speculation with the Britannic story.
Was the hospital ship carrying contraband troops (as the real-life Germans seemed to believe) or a cache of weapons (as the movie Germans rightly believed)?
Therefore I had no trouble with the basic premise of a German spy on board and a German U-boat being involved-although the film shows the U-boat failing to sink the ship and then being destroyed by a British warship-something that did not happen.Other than the tiresome, ever-present presence of a 1990s feminist, EXPECTING 1990s treatment (and thoroughly surprised and outraged when her male antagonists act basically as they would have in 1916 instead of 2000), the film has a few other anachronisms.
For one, Atterton and Major Baker (Bruce Payne), the ship's doctor, glibly discuss the explosive dangers of coal dust in the bunkers.
I would have to believe that 85% of REAL ministers in 1916 would have been both flabbergasted and offended (if titillated ) by a young women bursting into his room (even after sharing an earlier kiss) and disrobing.This pales in comparison, though, with Agent Baker's suicidal desire to rescue Reynolds-AFTER she knew he was responsible for sinking the ship!
This, too, sounds outrageous-although, under the stress and passion of the moment, perhaps such muddled thoughts COULD have been running through her mind.In any case, Britannic is an intriguing little film, but one which leaves the viewer with more questions about the characters' bizarre actions than about the mystery of the ship's actual sinking..
I believe this movie was made for TV, and I think that I have seen better special effects in an older video game.
But I don't think that those things make this a bad movie, the plot is interesting and the movie never gets boring.
If you are looking for a historically accurate story of the Britannic, then you might not like this movie.
It is true that the Britannic was the sister ship of the famous Titanic, that it was suppose to be even safer and grander, and then the ship was commissioned by the British government as a hospital ship during World War One. But the story about spies on board, and that they were the ones that made the ship sink is not true.
But I really do think that this movie was interesting, and if cheesy special effects, and nudity (You can always hit the skip button) do not bug you I would suggest watching this movie..
Britannic is a good film that has a good cast which includes Edward Atterton, Amanda Ryan, Jacqueline Bisset, Ben Daniels, John Rhys-Davies, Bruce Payne, Alex Ferns, Eleanor Oakley, Archie Davies, Ed Stobart, Adam Bareham, David Lumsden, Wolf Kahler, Philip Rham, Daniel Coonan, Daniel Tatarsky, and Martin Savage!
Rhys-Davies and Payne are really excellent in this film.
The movie is filmed very good.
The film is quite interesting and the movie really keeps you going until the end.
This is a very good and thrilling film.
If you like Edward Atterton, Amanda Ryan, Jacqueline Bisset, Ben Daniels, John Rhys-Davies, Bruce Payne, Alex Ferns, Eleanor Oakley, Archie Davies, the rest of the cast in the film, Thrillers, Dramas, Romance, War, Action, Mystery, and interesting true stories films then I strongly recommend you to see this film today!.
As can be expected, the film attempted to ride on the coattails of the enormously successful, Titanic, but fell far short of its expectations.
It would seem from the reviews to date That "Britannic" is either a movie you love or hate.
The acting from all concerned, but especially the stars, Jacqueline Bisset, Edward Atterton, John Rhys-Davies, Amanda Ryan and Bruce Payne, I would rate as absolutely perfect.
Lovely film about a little known ship or its sinking.
The ship Britannic was made by the same building firm as the Titanic.
Meanwhile, Vera takes a shine to the ship's chaplain, Mr. Reynolds (Edward Atterton).
This very intriguing movie, based on a little known ship or event, is entertaining to view.
While this is an obvious made-for-TV follow up to Titanic (Cameron) it does draw attention to a signficant shipwreck that has been largely forgotten.Bollards relatively recent expedition has shown that the ship was sunk by torpedo's as shown, but sunk because the portholes were open and the bulkhead doors were not closed.It is indeed fortunate that it happened on an inwards transit because on an outwards one the loss of life would have been enormous.Yet again we have intrigue and romance fictionally built into a disaster movie but the truth of the matter is that the sinking of Britannic was an act of war with minimal loss of life.
My review of the plot of Britannic would only mirror other reviews, it's a good movie and does well with it's budget.
It is a little to similar to Titanic for my liking in that there is unexpected romance aboard a large ship that sinks.
After the high-budget high-gross success of James Cameron's Titanic, it is quite inevitable to try and make a copy-cat film about something based on the same idea.
In this TV made case, it is a fictionalised story of the events concerning the Titanic's sister ship.
Basically, the Britannic was a hospital ship carrying thousands of medical supplies to be used for the troops of the First World War. As it is wartime, a certain passenger, British Secret Service agent Vera Campbell (Amanda Ryan), and a survivor from the Titanic sinking, is searching for German spies.
The Germans' attempt to take over the ship fails, and the spy, Reynolds (Edward Atterton) sees no choice but to cause the ship to sink.
Obviously when the ship has water coming in very slowly, Captain Barrett (John Rhys-Davies) gives the order to abandon ship, and while Vera gets out alive, Reynolds is mashed by a propeller, and the ship eventually topples over and sinks completely.
The story is pretty thin, the acting is a little lame, and the special effects (being made for TV) are nowhere near the quality Titanic had to offer, but it does have its moments.