“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” is a science fiction film of 1954 directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is based on the famous novel by Jules Verne, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”, and was the first Hollywood film to be shot entirely in CinemaScope.
The plot of the film follows Professor Aronnax (played by Paul Lukas), a marine biology expert who is summoned by the United States Navy to help solve the mystery of a sea monster attacking ships all over the world. Together with his assistant Conseil (played by Peter Lorre) and the bizarre harpist Ned Land (played by Kirk Douglas), Aronnax is captured by Captain Nemo (played by James Mason), who is revealed to be the creator of the submarine Nautilus, an incredible machine who can explore the deepest seas.
The film was acclaimed for its state-of-the-art special effects and its fidelity to Verne’s original novel. In particular, the scene of the fight between the Nautilus and a giant squid was widely praised for its spectacularity.
The film won two Academy Awards, one for Best Special Effects and the other for Best Art Direction, and earned a place in popular culture as one of the adventure film most iconic of the 50s.
Plot
The storyline of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea follows Professor Pierre Aronnax, a French marine biologist, who is summoned by the US Navy to help solve the mystery of a sea monster that is attacking ships around the world. Along with his assistant Conseil, Aronnax and an American harpist named Ned Land, they board the ship Abraham Lincoln to try and capture the monster.
After a violent attack by the monster, the three are shipwrecked and find themselves on a mysterious underwater ship called the Nautilus, which is commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo is a solitary and reclusive man who is not interested in returning to the mainland and has decided to spend the rest of his life exploring the seabed aboard the Nautilus.
Aboard the Nautilus, Aronnax and his companions witness marvelous underwater explorations and meet strange marine beings. However, tensions mount when Captain Nemo reveals his hatred of civilization and his determination to destroy any ships that cross his path.
The situation worsens when the Nautilus is attacked by a giant squid, putting the crew’s lives in danger. After an arduous battle, the Nautilus manages to survive the attack and Captain Nemo decides to send Aronnax and his companions down to a desert island to prevent them from revealing its existence to the world.
Characters
Here are the main characters of the film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”:
Captain Nemo: commander of the Nautilus submarine, he is a mysterious and solitary man who has decided to spend his life exploring the seabed and take revenge on humanity for the injustices suffered. He is played by James Mason.
Professor Pierre Aronnax: French marine biologist summoned by the US Navy to help solve the mystery of the sea monster. He is captured by Captain Nemo and joins his crew aboard the Nautilus. He is played by Paul Lukas.
Ned Land: American harpist who joins the expedition to capture the sea monster. He is captured along with Aronnax and Conseil and becomes a stubborn prisoner of Captain Nemo. He is played by Kirk Douglas.
Conseil: Aronnax’s assistant, he is a faithful traveling companion and a valuable asset to the crew of the Nautilus. He is played by Peter Lorre.
First mate of the Nautilus: Captain Nemo’s right hand man, he is a silent and determined man who faithfully follows the orders of his superior. He is played by Robert J. Wilke.
Ship Captain Abraham Lincoln: Commander of the ship leading the expedition in search of the sea monster. He is played by Ted de Corsia.
Production
The film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Richard Fleischer. Production on the film was announced in 1952 and shooting began in April 1953.
The film was shot primarily at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California using miniature models to represent the Nautilus submarine and marine life. For some of the underwater scenes, footage from the open ocean off the Florida Keys was used.
The film’s budget was around $5 million, making it one of the most expensive films Disney produced up to that point. However, the film was a big box office success and grossed over $28 million worldwide.
The film won two Academy Awards in 1955, for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, and received three other nominations, including Best Score.
Distribution and Reception
The film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was released in theaters on December 23, 1954, immediately obtaining great success with audiences and critics.
The film grossed over $8 million in the United States alone, making it the highest-grossing film of 1954 and the first Disney film to exceed $5 million in grossing.
Critics praised the film for its spectacular technical execution and adventurous plot. In particular, we appreciated the special effects used to create the Nautilus submarine and marine life, and the performances of the main actors, including James Mason, Paul Lukas, Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre.
The film received two Academy Awards, for Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, and received three other nominations, including Best Score.
Collectively, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was a major commercial and artistic success, becoming one of Disney’s most iconic films and a cornerstone of science fiction and adventure cinema.
Movie Style
The film “20,000 leagues under the sea” is characterized by a style of direction and photography that fully reflects the adventure and science fiction narrative of Jules Verne’s novel.
Director Richard Fleischer uses a series of suggestive shots and camera movements that enhance the majesty of the Nautilus and the beauty of the seabed, creating a surreal and enchanted atmosphere.
The action scenes were shot with great attention to detail and using innovative special effects for the time, which made it possible to render the clashes between the Nautilus and enemy ships, as well as encounters with gigantic sea creatures, with great realism.
The skilful use of music, curated by the composer Paul J. Smith, helps to create a suggestive and engaging atmosphere, accompanying the images with adventurous and mysterious melodies.
Overall, the style of the film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” was innovative for its time, combining high-level technical prowess with captivating and atmospheric aesthetics.
Director
The director of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” is Richard Fleischer. Born in 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, Fleischer came from a family of film directors and producers, his father Max Fleischer having been one of the pioneers of animated cinema.
Richard Fleischer began his film career in the late 1940s, working for RKO Pictures as a production assistant and director on short films. He then worked for various production companies, directing films in the western genre, crime story and horror.
His artistry and technical prowess made Fleischer one of Hollywood’s most respected directors, with films such as ‘Giant’ (1956), ‘Guilt Complex’ (1957), ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ (1962 ), “Mandingo” (1975) and “Amityville Horror” (1979).
In 1953, Walt Disney chose Fleischer to direct “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, considering the director the ideal choice to bring Jules Verne’s Nautilus adventures to the screen. Fleischer rose to the challenge, making one of the most iconic and spectacular films in the history of cinema.
Richard Fleischer died in 2006, aged 89, but his contributions to the world of cinema were notable, with a legacy of films that continue to influence and inspire filmmakers and audiences around the world.