Baltic Storm (2004)

Unknown Gem

I vaguely remembered the disaster that this movie was based on. Instead of a "Titanic" type movie, what I found was a gripping personal story about two ordinary people with extraordinary guts as they went up against powerful forces in their quest to learn the truth behind the sinking. Without giving away the plot, this was no natural disaster. The filmaking was a mixture of objective reality and newsreel type footage which was seemlessly integrated. Well worth a look. April 15, 2007

Good premise, poor execution

In September 1994, the Baltic Sea ferry Estonia sank killing 852 of her 989 passengers and crew. Over the next ten years, German journalist Jutta Rabe would doggedly pursue her theory on the disaster, culminating in this movie.

Baltic Storm has a good premise and a good lead cast, Greta Scacchi as a renamed Rabe, Jurgen Prochnow (Das Boot) as a Swedish survivor of the disaster and Donald Sutherland. The problem is that with these three hired there seemed to be no money left for a decent supporting cast and we're left with several second rate German actors attempting to play Swedes, Estonians, Finns and Russians.

Rabe is a good journalist but she is not the best film producer. There are a number of glaring errors which temper the seriousness of the story and what actually makes the film poignant is the use of contemporary news footage and interviews with some of the key figures at the time.

However this film does still work. Despite the bad acting we do feel sorry for the people who die while the three main leads carry the film well. The story is very good and believeable and the music also works well.

In the end, this is a must see film, especially given that a number of the allegations made in the film have turned out to be true.

January 15, 2007

Sad tragic tale of greatest maritime cover up

The sad tragic case of the MV Estonia a ferry which sank under very mysterious circumstances in September 1994 with a huge loss of life; 852 people from 17 countries died and only 140 odd survived. Baltic Storm is an attempt to bring to the World's attention some of the lies, misconceptions and cover ups involved in the story. Greta Scachi character is based upon German journalist Jutta Raabe who did her own investigation into the sinking. Anyone expecting a traditional 'disaster type' movie may be dissapointed, in fact the sinking and scenes on the Estonia are all too brief - perhaps out of respect for the families of the victims. Its a thought provoking movie and while some scenes do tend to get a bit corny (the split screen techniques) Its a pity this movie did not receive a wider distribution as perhaps it would have brought more attention to the tragedy. As a companion piece read Drew Wilsons excellent Book 'The Hole' and look at some of the many websites on the tragedy and cover up. A good thought provoking tale. November 16, 2006

Compelling Human Story

You expect to see a low budget Titanic-type rip off. Instead, it's a film about two ordinary human beings searching for the truth behind a tragedy -- one personal, the other professional -- in a world of intrigue and power. Eventually, despite constant tension and danger, an answer of sorts is found. But it is how that search profoundly changes the two characters is what connected me to the movie. Terrific acting by Greta Scacchi, Jurgen Prochnow, and Donald Sutherland. I highly recommend 'Baltic Storm'. July 14, 2006

Political Intrigue!

I love this stuff. I'm a big fan of 24- and, hey, there is a sutherland in this movie. I won't give away the plot, but it is complicated and engaging. The movie was really well acted and intricately conceived. The score is a bit to Euro for me, but the movie made me really interested in this disaster and potential cover-up (check out the Discovery documentary). May 3, 2006

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