Krakatoa – Das größte Abenteuer des letzten Jahrhunderts (1968)

Krakatoa – Das größte Abenteuer des letzten Jahrhunderts: Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. With Maximilian Schell, Diane Baker, Brian Keith, Barbara Werle. In 1883, ship captain Hanson plans a shipwreck salvage mission in The Dutch East Indies to retrieve a cargo of pearls but an unexpected volcano eruption and a state-ordered transport of convicts upset his plans.

“Resolutely old-fashioned, corny yet undeniably entertaining sea-faring adventure set in 1883. Maximilian Schell is cast as the most polite, soft-spoken shipu0026#39;s captain Iu0026#39;ve ever seen; heu0026#39;s on a mission to find a sunken ship off the coast of Singapore and raid it of its treasures. He brings several passengers aboard (a divorcée looking for her young son, father and son thrill-seekers, a deep-sea diver with bad lungs, etc.), as well as thirty shackled prisons whom he keeps down in the shipu0026#39;s galley. Great-looking movie originally released in the widescreen, three-camera Cinerama process, though the narrative is shaky from the beginning and the second-half is overloaded with repetitive volcanic explosions. The opening multi-screen montage of skin-divers and sunsets is beautifully presented–until you realize itu0026#39;s actually made up of scenes from the film which have yet to occur! The large cast is alternately wooden and unhappy, though the cinematography and special effects are good and DeVolu0026#39;s music score is rousing. Not a classic from the disaster movie genre, and saddled with a geographically incorrect title, but one that hopes to provide something for everyone. Itu0026#39;s silly, but still quite a thrilling ride. *** from ****”