This week sees the release of the 1916 silent adaptation of Jules Verne’s literary classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) on Blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber. Directed by Stuart Paton, this was the first feature length adaptation of 20,000 Leagues, merging the originals narrative with its sequel 1874’s The Mysterious Island. The film’s inception was more or less a reaction to the September 3rd 1914 sinking of the British cruiser Pathfinder, by a German U-Boat in the North Sea which was the first time a submarine had sunk a warship. The Universal Film Manufacturing Company (now Universal Pictures) hoped to capitalize on this tragedy by making a big budget spectacle that would be first film with sequences shot underwater that also included a 125-foot working Nautilus thanks to the Williamson Submarine Film Corporation.
The Film
This being a silent film from 1916, I have to admit I was honestly a bit caught off guard at how dark this take on the source was. Like in the original book we have ships being sunk by a mysterious monster, which turns out of course to be Captain Nemo’s submarine. Professor Aronnax (Dan Hanlon), is dispatched aboard a ship that hopes to take out the beast and when the ship is sunk by the Nemo, the Professor is taken aboard the ship, first as a prisoner where he then bears witness to the technological wonders of Nemo’s underwater world. It’s The Mysterious Island part of the narrative where the film starts to stray a bit from its source, and things turn for the bleaker. A group of men are shipwrecked on a deserted island and one of the more unscrupulous members of the party discovers a young feral girl living on the island. His attempted to assault on her throws into motion a series of events that echoes the girl’s tragic backstory.
One thing to keep in mind before watching the film is its historical context, and its use of brownface, which some may find problematic. While there are Black background actors, Nemo, who is Indian, and the young feral girl who is also a person of color, are both played by Caucasian actors in makeup. While historically it fits the norm for two prominent roles be treated as such, one thing I did find rather progressive, was unlike a certain Disney adaptation, they didn’t whitewash Nemo or his heritage and kept his race from the book. Also, while the character is brooding and a bit eccentric it’s not simply racial caricature either.
The Presentation
The film is restored here in a remarkable 4K scan by Universal Pictures from a nitrate 35mm print. Given the source and technologies employed here to achieve the underwater scenes, there is definitely a stark contrast between the film’s underwater cinematography, which was the first of its time and the shots that were obviously done on a set. All the ocean photography above and below was shot in the Bahamas for lighting purposes thanks to the clarity of the water. While most of the onset footage looks gorgeous for its age, the underwater footage looks like a bit worse for wear damage-wise with a much higher contrast. This was probably a functional fix to compensate for shooting underwater without lighting. It doesn’t distract at all too much and adds something authentic to the charm with these imperfections. The film is also accompanied by an audio commentary by film historian Anthony Slide, that is illuminating for those looking for insight into the history film and its players. I found his perspective fascinating as he does a deep dive into the production of the silent film. The film is accompanied by a score performed by Orlando Perez Rosso.
Final Thoughts
While silent cinema may not be for everyone, 20,000 Leagues definitely isn’t your average silent movie. Not only is it very engaging, with its dark thematic elements and undertones of vengeance and betrayal, it’s got a rare spectacle to it that you have to admire given the practicality of the effects employed in the film. I honestly found it quite amazing the lengths production went to create this fantastical vision and the fact we are still enjoying it almost 100 years later. This was a time when it was just more practical to build a 125 foot submarine that submerged rather than fake it, and there’s a real charm to that approach of a “real boat” or a “real shark” with the actors force to perform in very real sometime very dangerous circumstances. I’ve always been a big fan of the story of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and found this version equally complex and even more nuanced than more recent adaptions and worth tracking down.
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