From Titanic to Normandy, the transatlantic epic told on Arte

The first minutes are perplexing. We think we are watching an advertisement for the Queen Mary II, a ship which still connects the two shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is admired by the authors of the film. The sequel takes a more normal course. Even quite successful. With Transatlantic , Arte offers an enthusiastic and researched portrait of these giants of the seas, who marked the 19th and 20th centuries. In two parts of one hour each. A kaleidoscope of archives alternates with shots of ocean liners still afloat. The camera flies over them as if they were schools of cetaceans in the mating season.

The history of transatlantic liners begins in 1843. A Briton sets up a propeller and steam system capable of projecting the SS Great Britainat an unprecedented speed. America is now only two weeks away, compared to two months before. News travels much faster. For the happiness, in particular, of the financiers. The documentary could have explored this question further…