20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Disney film)
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an American film produced by Walt Disney. The film was released on December 23, 1954. It is based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne. Directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Earl Felton, the film stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre.
Synopsis
In 1868, there are reports from sailors of a sea monster attacking ships across the Pacific Ocean. The world at large is fearful, especially the U.S. Government. Prof. Arronax (Lukas) and his assisstant, Conseil (Lorre) are just passing through San Francisco on their way to the Orient. Arronax has no opinion on the so-called monster, and generally does not believe the story.The news reporters misinterpret Arronax's words and make a whole article about his "opinions" on the monster. This gets the attention of the U.S. Government, who sends an agent to talk to Arronax. The agent proposes that Arronax goes on a government-funded expedition to find the monster. Arronax agrees, as it will be passage to their final destinantion.
During the voyage, the sailors, and the professor, see nothing at first. They pass the time making music and playing songs, much to the delight of sailor Ned Land (Douglas), whom the audience is introduced to at the beginning of the film picking a fight.
When the "monster" is finally spotted, the ship does its best to try and take it down, lobbing canonballs and harpoons. The monster the rams the ship, causing Arronax to fall in the water. Conseil dives in after him. They both are stranded when the ship, badly listing, heads back to a safe port. All hope seems lost.
The two then drift to a strange-looking boat, the Nautilus. They both realize that the submarine-boat is the "monster" they were chasing. Ned Land joins them, having been on an overturned lifeboat. The three explore the ship, seemingly deserted. Going deeper into the ship, they find all sorts of treasures and interesting gadgets. Arronax then opens a large viewing window and finds where the crew is, tending to the burial of a shipmate.
The crew then realizes that there are visitors aboard the ship and run immediately to catch them. The three castaways try to escape, but end up captured by the crew. The captain introduces himself as Nemo, and he does not take kindly to visitors. He orders them to be killed, except Arronax, whom he respects for his work and research. Arronax cannot let his friends die, so Nemo orders him out with the others. At the last moment, Nemo lets them all live, saying he has use for their loyalty.
All of the stowaways are given quarters. Arronax is entertained and entranced by Nemo's technology and philosophy. Conseil and Ned Land, however, do not want to be in the ship longer than they need to be. Nemo takes them all on an expedition under the sea to gather supplies, with the help of his amazing scuba gear. He wants to teach them that the sea provides everything, even food.
During the expedition, Ned Land tries to take a chest of treasure from a sunken wreck. After being nearly eaten by a shark, Nemo chastises him, saying that he "cannot eat pieces of eight". Land attempts another escape when the crew comes to a seemingly deserted island. It is thwarted, however, by the cannibals of the island. Feeling he cannot trust Land Nemo locks him up in the brig. During this time, Arronax gets more and more entranced by Nemo's wonders, including what powers the Nautilus: atomic energy.
At the climax, there is a tremendous fight with a giant squid during a storm at night. During the battle, Nemo is caught in one of the squid's tentacles. Ned Land has now freed himself from his cell, and climbs into the fray. Land frees Nemo from his captor and saves his life. Nemo returns the favor by letting Land go free in the ship.
Nemo then takes Arronax to a quarry, where slaves load a ship with the elements to make gunpowder. Nemo explains that he sinks ships like this for the good of the world. To Nemo, those ships are the cause of death and pain in the world. That night, the Nautilus rams the ship and causes it to sink. The collision damages the Nautilus, making repairs necessary. The ship then lurches its way to Nemo's base of Vulcania.
Ned Land, seeing his fellow sailors needlessly murdered, decides to throw numerous bottles into the water. He steals maps from Nemo's quarters and stuffs the bottles with the coordinates of Vulcania. He hopes that someone will pick them up.
When the ship gets to Vulcania, Nemo and his crew is ambushed by other naval ships. Nemo then decides to destroy his base, and his discoveries. He goes into the base to destroy everything, but when returning to the ship, he is struck by a bullet from a sailor's rifle. The charges in the water then permanently cripples the Nautilus. Dying, Nemo decides to let the ship sink, along with him and the crew.
Ned Land fights back, saying he does not want to be part of a suicide. He grabs Conseil, but has trouble getting Arronax, who says he must go back for his journal. Land then knocks out Arronax and carries him to the lifeboat, where Conseil is waiting. The group witness the destruction of Vulcania in a huge atomic explosion. The Nautilus then sinks to its watery grave. Nemo's words are echoed that someday, when man is ready, all of his inventions will be rediscovered, "in God's good time".
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