"What naval films would you like to see?" Topic

I nominate the Battle of Lissa (1866). Surely a good opportunity for CGI.

It's an even better opportunity for 1/6 scale models.

- Ix

WW1 Battle of the Falklands

Taking the original post's "What I would like to see", my first thought is that it be a rare opportunity to have something big and great. So I'll second TVAG's suggestion about biggest possible themes. Running on those lines:

1) Battle off Samar: Could include a cold open with Battle of Surigao Strait, handing off to Samar with some flashbacks tastefully done to help set context. Huge, important battle with lots of things happening.

2) Trafalgar: Again, big important battle with lots of fighting sail crushing into each other in (relatively) slow motion. Also has a good center in the form of the Victory-Redoubtable fight. Heck of a visual, literally a panorama.

3) Hampton Roads: Another cold open with either Virginia clearing Craney Island on March 8 and heading for Cumberland, or further back with the fall of Gosport yard (Attempt to blow the drydock, etc.). Plenty of material there for a whole movie and historically super important. Plus… of course it would include two full scale reconstructions (with propulsion and armament) of Monitor and Virginia for everyone to tour later!

Thought of another one: The Franklin (CV-13). First you have the attack, then the captain keeping it afloat through sheer hardheadedness, then him torpedoing his own career due to that same quality. It would make a good drama.

I think Jutland is too big to do right in a movie. I can think of two ways to make it interesting:

• As a mini-series of 90-minute or 120-minute episodes:
  * Maybe 30 mins of background and establishing tension, then the actions of The Day up through the end of the run to the South
  * The run to the North and then the general engagement
  * The night action and aftermath
  I'd want to see equal time and consideration given to the perspectives of all the major commanders, British and German alike.
  
• View the whole battle from Beatty's perspective (or really, HMS Lion's perspective): crew seeing enemy shells arcing at them; the Q turret incident; the signals difficulties; the mystery of British BCs blowing up in the distance; etc. The movie opens with the ships being roused out of port and ends with the survivors returning.

Jutland as a single movie would feel rushed and unsatisfying. It would be hard to fit 24 hours of action into 2 hours of movie without excessive brevity, and the whole thing would too likely feel rushed and shallow like Midway 2019.

- Ix