Longitude (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Dava Sobel (book)
Charles Sturridge (writer)

Release Date:

2 January 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Parallel stories: 18th century Harrison builds the marine chronometer for safe navigation at sea; 20th century Gould is obsessed with restoring it.

Plot Keywords:

Clock | Sea | Navigation | Parallel Story | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Coy	...	Adm. Sir Cloudsley Shovell
Christopher Hodsol	...	Capt. Ainsley
Jeremy Irons	...	Rupert Gould
Peter Cartwright	...	Army Doctor
Gemma Jones	...	Elizabeth Harrison
John Nettleton	...	Minister for the Navy
Michael Gambon	...	John Harrison
Nigel Davenport	...	Sir Charles Pelham
Liam Jennings	...	Young William Harrison
Anna Chancellor	...	Muriel Gould
Frank Finlay	...	Adm. Wagner
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Estate Manager
Andrew Scott	...	John Campbell
John Standing	...	Capt. Proctor
John Wood	...	Sir Edmund Halley

Runtime:

250 min (2 parts) | USA:200 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the very beginning of the series the Admiral refers repeatedly to "His Majesty's Navy" and "His Majesty's Officers". The incident takes place in 1707 when Queen Anne was on the throne.

Quotes:

Lord Morton: This society was created so that men of *science* might solve the mysteries of our planet. I would not wish to see the longitude prize stolen by a country toolmaker.

Movie Connections:

References "The Brains Trust" (1955)

Great movie for its historical and scientific significance, a definite "10"!

Dec2004 update: I did eventually buy the DVD set, and it is very nice.

"Longitude" is a towering achievement as a movie. Shown in 4 hours on A&E network, I taped it to skip the commercials and was able to watch it in just over 3 hours. I only give ratings of "10" to truly remarkable movies, and this is one. It helps to be a scientist, and to have had a life-long fascination with navigation and timepieces.

The story is historical - the British government passed an act in the early 1700s for a prize of 20,000 Pounds for the first to provide an accurate and practical means of establishing longitude at sea. A Board of Longitude,comprising self-important scientists, would judge when the challenge was met.

John Harrison, a carpenter who understood the sun's apparent movement with the Earth's rotation, figured you could do it with a very accurate clock. He, with help from his son William, did it over a period of about 50 years, and met all conditions with his 4th clock, but the board kept throwing up roadblocks to avoid giving the award to someone who was not a scientist but a mere "carpenter." Finally, when Harrison was 80, ironically in the year 1776, was given the prize by Parliament. He died only two years later.

The ancient story was interwoven with a WWII-era story of a man, played by Jeremy Irons, who undertook to restore all of Harrison's old clocks, and finally succeeded against similar resistance that Harrison had faced.

If you either are not a scientist, or do not appreciate the magnitude of Harrison's effort, and its contribution to modern navigation, then it is possible that you would find this movie somewhat boring. Do yourself a favor - don't waste your time. For me, it remains one of the absolute best movies I have ever seen, both in significance of the story and the mastery of the acting and direction.