Atlantis (1913 film)

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Atlantis is a 1913 full length feature film from Denmark.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Produced in Denmark in 1913 this emotional film is the tale of a surgeon and his travels throughout Europe and America. The surgeon decides to travel after his wife is institutionalised. He travels to Berlin, Paris, and New York. The wide shots of the cities are excellent if not perfect.

During his Trans-Atlantic trip he sails on a luxury liner and finds himself torn between his love for two women. One is a wealthy motion picture actress traveling in First Class, and the other is a poor immigrant in Third Class. The film also focused on class division, which was opposed in Denmark, but not in most countries in Europe.

In the middle of the ocean the ship strikes a unidentified object and sinks between the waves. The movie producers spent millions of dollars on special effects for the sinking scenes. They actually purchased a ship and sunk it for the brief scenes. The sinking was inspired by the Titanic disaster and the echos of that tragedy are apparent throughout the film. Following the sinking of the ship the doctor went to New York. The film was one of the first full length films ever made. It ran for 1 hour and 43 minutes and was a smash hit around the world. In 1993 it was restored with sub-titles in both English and Danish.