A good few decades have passed since I first saw this at my local flea-pit, and now the Disney+ catalogue provides a chance to look again at Richard Fleischer’s robust adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic story. I saw this on a revival at my local fleapit at the age of six, and was impressed by the Gothic design of the Nautilus ship, by the dynamic lead performances, and the impressive physical effects, not least the giant boggle-eyed squid that was worth the price of admission if paying to see fighting squids is your thing.
Disney’s adventures in live-action haven’t always been successful, but with an expensive, state-of-the-art Technicolor/Cinemascope pedigree, this is one old movie that comes up looking pretty spruce. Sure, there’s a few dated process shots, but there’s also some stunning glass paintings, notably Captain Nemo’s volcanic base, and lots of well–integrated hydraulics and clever model-work. When I was a kid, this movie was all about the monster, but the plot and character development still made an impression, and while the submarine effects are still cool, it’s the acting that really seals the deal on classic status here.
Was there ever a better leading man that Kirk Douglas? Often shirtless, resplendent in his earring, never short of a sea-shanty (A Whale of a Tale!) or a cheeky rabbit-punch in the melt for those who annoyed him, his Ned Land is a rambunctious creation, and the fore-runner of many inferior action heroes to come. He’s perfectly matched in James Mason’s Captain Nemo, who comes on all saturnine charm, but the veneer soon gives way to intense philosophical wrestling about the current state and vexed future of mankind. Nemo is an ambiguous character, the very opposite of Ned’s two-fisted, straight-up heroism, and yet the two men play off each other perfectly.
Ned eats with his hands; he’s ‘indifferent to utensils’ and unimpressed by Nemo’s sophisticated, evolved diet, which serves up ‘milk of a sperm whale’ and ‘sauté of unborn octopus’. Their struggle, narrated by the wonderfully bug-eyed Peter Lorre, is that of the heart and the brain, yet both men have each quality in abundance and this isn’t a shallow story of good and bad but does justice to Verne’s loftier ideas. Ultimately, 20,000 Leagues is the yardstick by which Disney/family films should be judged; yes, there are attractive carnival elements like Douglas serenading a seal or fighting off cannibals, but 20,000 League Under the Sea delivers when it comes to story, dialogue, acting and overall bonhomie; it’s a cinematic game-changer of its day that still comes up fresh as paint today.
I recently watched Disney’s In Search of the Castaways and was knocked out by how much I enjoyed the film. It is Indiana Jones twenty years before Raiders. And Maurice Chevalier’s happy go lucky character belies an undertone of the sinister as he continually puts the children in dangerous situations, like climbing the side of a mountain, while singing, “And if we fall, crash, bang, and die a terrible death, never mind, we’ve had the joy the joy of the climb.”
Wow! Good choice! I guess the point of Disney+ is not about nostalgic lyrics viewing older films, but it’s good value for catching up with some oldies for sure. Thanks for the comment, will check that one out for myself!
Right, what with this and Basil the Mouse Detective, you’ve convinced me. I’m signing up for Disney+
if you can get a week’s free trial, it’s something of a banquet of rare films, if you look beyond the big names. I really enjoyed my week with Disney+, and there’s a few titles that should interest kids of all ages.
Always loved this movie and, as the other poster said, it still holds up.
I love this film! A great review!
I’ve read the book but I’ve never seen this movie, now I must do that! Thank you for your review! :–)
It’s a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy!
Oh man, I remember this. I watched this a youngster before ever reading the book and can remember how disappointed I was with the book not being all cool action’y stuff like I remembered from the movie.
This and the Absent-minded Professor are the two big disney movies that I know our family watched over and over.
It really stands up well; Disney-fying things sounds negative, but I think they did a great job with this text!