A successful director/producer who likes to travel in style, sails first class on a superb ship called the "Balkan". Alas, the ship collides with a wreck, with disastrous results. The director/producer does his best to help, but eventually he succumbs to temptation. Grabbing a discarded ladies' coat he steps into a lifeboat meant for women and children only...
The premise of "Whom the gods destroy" is simple but effective : a prosperous, well-regarded citizen succumbs to a moment's temptation and finds his life utterly changed. On the whole the premise is well executed, although the last third veers dangerously into tearjerker or soap territory. At its best the movie breathes a genuine sense of tragedy. As befits a tragedy, there is a cruel irony to be reckoned with : the protagonist can't return to his former life because public opinion back home has proclaimed him a hero.
Walter Connolly gives a great lead performance as a man brought low both by his own actions and by misfortune.
The depiction of the "Balkan" disaster is impressive, mainly because it gives a good idea of the sheer speed with which a naval catastrophe unfolds. Here, a magnificent vessel is undone in far less time than it takes to cook a chicken or to clean up after a party. One minute passengers are relaxing in safety and comfort ; the next they are stampeding towards the nearest lifeboat. Quite a lot of things get lost within the struggle : things like lifebelts, furs, logic, dignity and self-respect.
It is a disquieting thought that only a few years after the making of "Whom the gods destroy", World War II would cast its dark pall over the oceans, complete with submarine crews getting paid for CAUSING naval disasters such as this. The unending imperfections of human nature...
The premise of "Whom the gods destroy" is simple but effective : a prosperous, well-regarded citizen succumbs to a moment's temptation and finds his life utterly changed. On the whole the premise is well executed, although the last third veers dangerously into tearjerker or soap territory. At its best the movie breathes a genuine sense of tragedy. As befits a tragedy, there is a cruel irony to be reckoned with : the protagonist can't return to his former life because public opinion back home has proclaimed him a hero.
Walter Connolly gives a great lead performance as a man brought low both by his own actions and by misfortune.
The depiction of the "Balkan" disaster is impressive, mainly because it gives a good idea of the sheer speed with which a naval catastrophe unfolds. Here, a magnificent vessel is undone in far less time than it takes to cook a chicken or to clean up after a party. One minute passengers are relaxing in safety and comfort ; the next they are stampeding towards the nearest lifeboat. Quite a lot of things get lost within the struggle : things like lifebelts, furs, logic, dignity and self-respect.
It is a disquieting thought that only a few years after the making of "Whom the gods destroy", World War II would cast its dark pall over the oceans, complete with submarine crews getting paid for CAUSING naval disasters such as this. The unending imperfections of human nature...