Deep Water (2006) User Reviews

A heartfelt story of a mans dreams turning to fears

[p_jones92 · 9/10 · 4 October 2007]

I happened upon this by chance. I was at my friends house and he had just started watching it, so I sat down thinking we would shoot the breeze whilst this was playing in the background. However, within seconds I was immersed in this docu-drama, and we both spent the rest of the time completely focused on this and not saying a word to each other.

I never knew the tale of the the first solo around the world yacht race, let alone the tragic events of one man's attempt against the odds, which set out to be his redemption for all of his misfortunes in life, but ultimately ends up becoming an example of them. Having not known of the story, I did watch this with the same fervor as I imagine those who were reading about the race at the time it actually was happening, engulfed in what was taking place and eager for more information, hoping the lone amateur was going to pull it off against the odds and beat the pro's, which makes the shocking twists of the story all the more tragic, I felt like I was living the story.

The story is told with great care, and the interviewees have clearly had time to reflect on the tragedy, which gives great insights, but is also contrasted nicely by the archive footage of interviews at the time of the tragedy, the recordings and photographs of the lone sailors is also excellently used, and the insights into the minds of the sailors and how solitude was affecting them was superb.

I'm shocked that this story isn't more widely known or has been turned into a movie, but also thankful. Thankful that we have this drama-documentary to tell the tale from those who knew the man, instead of some wishy-washy movie adaptation, and thankful that I caught this gem of a film by pure chance.

It's a must see, whether you like documentaries or not.

Simply one of the best documentaries...

[eroka · 9/10 · 11 November 2007]

This is a gem. As a Film Four production - the anticipated quality was indeed delivered. Shot with great style that reminded me some Errol Morris films, well arranged and simply gripping. It's long yet horrifying to the point it's excruciating. We know something bad happened (one can guess by the lack of participation of a person in the interviews) but we are compelled to see it, a bit like a car accident in slow motion. The story spans most conceivable aspects and unlike some documentaries did not try and refrain from showing the grimmer sides of the stories, as also dealing with the guilt of the people Don left behind him, wondering why they didn't stop him in time. It took me a few hours to get out of the melancholy that gripped me after seeing this very-well made documentary.

An Excellent Story Of 9 Men Participating In A Solo Sailboat Race Around The Planet.

[bobsphotography2000 · 8/10 · 22 December 2007]

"Ideas are dangerous." Comment by one interviewee.

DVD Rating: B+ / 4 out of 5 / 8 out of 10 / Worth the time.

A great story for adults / or teen boaters but not for children. None of the stupid violent crime stuff so often mistaken by Hollywood these days as "quality work." And, it can be used as a trainer film on what proper boating preparation is all about, or not about, prior to "sailing the seven seas." The movie starts out somewhat slowly to develop the story as most documentaries do, but as it draws the viewer into the saga, emotions begin to percolate in one's head! Emotions include anger, sadness, and disbelief. The era: late 1960's.

That solo sailing around the globe is dangerous is not surprising. What is surprising is all the twists that viewers wouldn't expect. Its not your average group of guys in a sailing race! Each boat was different as allowed by the race rules. Each solo sailor had different levels of ability as allowed by the race rules. There were well known sailors among them and a few not so well known. One was considered a mystery man as nobody seemed to have any knowledge of his ability at all. Each boat was allowed to depart at will so long as all were underway by a certain date. And this was, of course, prior to modern electronics that allow boaters to communicate with shore about vicious storms, etc.

Actual video and audio recordings are interspersed with interviews of family members and others involved. The mood of the interviewees is always somber despite the years that have passed.

The main character, Don, is the focus of attention & how his journey relates to those who he not only wanted to beat but, due to circumstances of his own creation, HAD to beat. He HAD to win. The story was about what that circumstance did to his life as he moved South West across the Atlantic Ocean over a years time alone on the water.

Do NOT fail to view the "special features" section of the DVD once the film is finished. The entire saga isn't fully understood w/o viewing the 'bonus' stuff.

In the end, once you've watched everything on the DVD, you will likely just shake your head and exclaim, 'wow.' And keep in mind, THAT is why the story has remained alive for the last 40 years.

SPOILER: Do NOT fail to view the "special features" section of the DVD once the film is finished. One sailor who was headed back to England after circumnavigating the globe decided on the fly that, no, he was going for another spin and the film records his spouse's opinions about that decision. The opposite story unfolds as another sailor wishes the race allowed two on board so he could take his wife along and their photos demonstrate a very warm union between them. The interview with an burley ex paratrooper who had actually ROWED a boat across the Atlantic with a friend prior to the solo sail race was incredibly funny as he described not even knowing how to sail and who thought the bad things happening to him were 'normal.' Too many people think that setting sail in the open sea can be an romantic adventure without mishap. Don't you be one!

Deep Water is about more than just the ocean

[Chris_Docker · 8 December 2006]

Some of the most difficult journeys are the ones we make alone. Totally alone. Donald Crowhurst's journey was made before satellite positioning. When he sails over the horizon he is, in effect, alone with the universe. His mission: to be the first or the fastest to sail around the world non-stop.

"We are all human beings and we all have dreams." Such are the first words of Deep Water. The sea of troubles that Crowhurst encounters are more than just physical. In this spellbinding documentary, we see the daunting adventure that he and some of the other competitors undertake. We experience the different ways they come to grips with intimidating loneliness and horrifying psychological pressures.

Personally, I can't swim. I don't particularly like water and my Kiwi friends make fun of me. But even the waves of the best made Hollywood pictures come with a comfort zone of music, reassuring dialogue or other reminders that it is 'all pretend'. Not so with Deep Water. Bleak opening credits leave us in no doubt of the cruel and relentless nature of the sea - the physical and also the mental challenge. A friend of mine, a few years ago, sailed around the world with a very small group of other people, all experienced yachtsmen. When she came back, it was several years before she was herself again.

Deep Water starts in 1967. Francis Chichester has just circumnavigated the globe on his own, but with a brief stop in Sydney. The Sunday Times announces a competition for sailing single-handedly around the world non-stop. Crowhurst enters, with not only glory but the financial fortunes of his family at stake (having mortgaged his house). But as his wife says, "There is a moment when an opportunity arises - and if you don't grasp it, that's that." They are noticeably worried about the outcome. Last minute preparations are been rushed. Later we will find only one of the original nine final contestants ever returns.

Bernard Moitessier, within reach of the end and possible victory after six months alone at sea, discovers he has found peace in the vast loneliness. He changes course to begin a second circuit. Something inside him changes. Something changes inside Crowhurst too, but for him the inner journey is far more turbulent.

Deep Water, beautifully narrated by Tilda Swinton, is a moving and totally absorbing account of one man who gets in over his head both physically and morally. The small boat becomes a microcosm for life where a person has to find their own rules. Crowhurst's journey is not the journey of Sunday Times heroes, but of a man. His dilemma is dangerously easy to identify with. This is an incredibly moving story - if you don't already know the historical details, do see the film first.

Shattering story of a great race, courage, deception and tragedy

[seshy · 10/10 · 25 January 2007]

This is an account of events that have been covered in print several times, and I had read two books - 'A Voyage for Madmen' and 'The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst' before seeing the film in Sheffield just before Christmas. I must say, it exceeded all expectations in its telling of the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe yacht race. These men set out to do something that had never been done before with no support vessels, wooden boats, no satellite phones, no GPS, and just their wits and skill to get them round the globe in one piece. Not to mention the months of solitude, the thundering southern ocean, little sleep, and boats that were often literally falling apart around them.

This documentary is excellently put together in my opinion, tightly edited, well paced with superb narration. The archive footage and the interviews are fascinating and bring the story to life. Clare Crowhurst's interview footage is especially revealing and moving as she relates the events that led up to her husband, Donald Crowhurst's departure from Teignmouth, the doubts and fears in his mind and her reaction as subsequent events unfolded.

I was moved and had even shed a tear or two by the time the credits started rolling, and overheard other people expressing similar feelings.

The two books I mentioned above are useful for more detail and back-story which couldn't have been fitted into the 90 minutes and I would recommend those too.

This is ultimately a true story of human courage and human frailty. A must see for anyone interested in sailing, adventure, human endeavour and real-life heroes.

Fascinating Journey

[SimcC · 10/10 · 21 December 2006]

Deep Water examines the pressures and ambitions on an ordinary man in a compelling documentary. The testimony and archive footage are a fascinating insight to the late 1960's and a ground-breaking round the world yacht race. The personal conflicts of duty to family, self and reputation are played out in one of the most memorable and affecting films I have seen. I was not familiar with the history of this story and the drama was successfully and clearly directed. The story is mostly respectful to the participants with heroes and villains implied rather than ruthlessly exposed. Most of the interpretation is left open to the viewer allowing room to personally relate to the situations and characters. This movie is a bitter sweet experience with an entertaining mix of thoughtful suspense, joy and drama.

An inspiring story - definitely worth seeing

[xzhux · 9/10 · 20 December 2006]

This is a story about a journey made by a man who once had a dream and guts. Donald Crowhurst was an English businessman and amateur sailor who competed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed, round-the-world yacht race.

I was very intrigued by the story after listening to a radio interview from the producer John Smithson, who is also the producer of "Touching the Void", one of the first documentaries that made a commercial success in 2003. I had gone to the cinema with great hope and not much previous knowledge on the historic event, and I'm relieved that it didn't let me down. For 92 minutes I was led through a haunting story and came out with much to think about.

Without any reenactment, this film made great use of the limited audio and video archive footage they found and turned it into a compelling story which allowed the audience to understand Crowhurst from a personal level. The story unveiled itself as people who had direct links to the events including his wife and his son, and the eventual winner, also the only one who made it back out of the 9 competitors, Robin Knox-Johnston gave their own accounts of what happened almost 40 years ago.

Crowhurst's logs(journals) that he kept during the 243 days at sea are so haunting that it made it much easier for me to come to understand what being in total isolation can do to a man. While Crowhurst's body was never found, the other competitor Nigel Tetley whose yacht sank just weeks before claiming the prize for fastest passage committed suicide three years later after unsuccessful attempts at properly completing a circumnavigation.

Everything could take its toll, especially the sea.

The director Louise Osmond was also at the Q&A session after the showing together with producer John Smithson. I had no idea that it's a female director and that just came as a very nice surprise. The film is getting a limited release in the UK (a couple of days in certain cinemas). Catch it in cinema while you can, unless you have a state of the art sound system that can recreate the sound of the bashing Southern Ocean.. then I'm sure they'll soon have it on DVDs too.

Her Mercy is Indifferent

[MacAindrais · 10/10 · 14 July 2008]

Deep Water (2006) ****

"It is indifferent... it's there waiting for you to make one slip up." Those words (paraphrased) are perhaps the best sum up of the nature of the ocean I have ever heard muttered. Its furies are boundless, not least of which, her loneliness. Those words come from the mesmerizing and heartbreaking documentary Deep Water. It is the story of Donald Crowhurst, an amateur sailor who partook in the 1969 Sunday Times Race around the World. If you do not know his story, it may be best to stop reading now. Don't read this or any other information on Crowhurst or the race. Find the film and just watch it.

After the first solo circumnavigation of the ocean in 1967, adventurers and watchers of adventurers began seeking the next one-up. This time the journey would have to be done without making landfall or stopping along the way. Having fallen on hard times, Crowhurst saw the race as a great chance to get his family back on their feet. He had lived through financial hardships as a child, and wanted part in going back to such a life. So he set out to find sponsors, and soon did in Stanley Best and Rodney Hallworth. The two men spelled the potential cash cow, and granted Crowhurst a boat, on the condition that if he should pull out of the race he would be forced himself to pay the expenses. His boat however was in serious need of repairs, and he feared it would not be ready in time for the final departure day. He was informed however by his sponsor's that he simply must go – after all, they ponied up the dough and expected it back many a time over.

The details of the story are infamous: Crowhurst's boat began taking on water, and his progress slowed to a crawl. Faced with the decision of trying to round the horn of Africa (certain death in such a boat) or turn back (financial devastation and destitution), he searched for a third option. He chose to hide out, alone on his yacht, waiting for other competitors to round Cape Horn in South America. From there he would rejoin the race. He reported false positions, and record breaking speeds. Then he stopped all communication for fear that his position would be given away. He also had to painstakingly construct fake log books for each day of a journey he did not take. Eventually the loneliness, the guilt, and the realization that he would likely be caught weighed too heavy on Crowhurst. His final log entries make the musings of a Kurtz seem entirely sane. Only a few weeks from home, he turned his boat away from home, and is reported to have jumped overboard soon thereafter.

Crowhurst's odyssey is a fascinating one, and its ending is heartbreaking, but strikes of inevitability. Our dreams so often turn into fears, and the consequences of our actions often leave us so few options for a happy ending. It is a story of a descent into madness, teased on by the infinite abyss of the cruel seas. The filmmakers do a wonderful job in telling this story. It's put together with chilling audio and video recordings done by Crowhurst, and narrations of his ever-increasingly maddening log notes. The story starts slowly, and may distract some viewers, but the rewards of the story are entirely worthwhile as it progresses.

There are also inquiries into some of the other competitors, such as Frenchman Bernard Moitessier, who was on par to likely win the speed competition, only to pull out and begin a second trip around the world. Also in the film is Robin Knox-Johnston, who was the winner of the competition. He donated his prize money to the Crowhurst family.

To read briefly on the Crowhurst saga simply does not do justice. It's interesting of course, but a quick browse bypasses the raw emotions and oddness presented here. The final moments of Deep Water are genuinely heart breaking, hearing the thoughts of his widowed family, and the adoration and understanding of his friends. This is a fascinating story, and it is that which carries the documentary into such great channels.

What Documentaries Should Be...

[fwomp · 10/10 · 29 July 2008]

Have you ever found yourself watching a film or documentary and having to hold yourself back from screaming things like "No! Don't do it!"? No? Well it's time you do. And undoubtedly DEEP WATER is the one to get you started.

The story is based on that of Donald Crowhurst and his entry into the first round-the-world yacht race to be undertaken by individuals in 1968. That word "individuals" is important, as the men who set off on this nearly suicidal escapade head out alone.

Most of the men are well-knowns in the sea-faring communities of England (where they launch from), but one of them is the "unknown dark horse," and his name was Donald Crowhurst. Struggling financially, Crowhurst enlists a backer who can take everything from him should he fail to at least attempt to make it through a large portion of the race. He could take his home, his property, everything.

Crowhurst now finds himself between a rock and ...well ...deep water: either attempt the race with an unproven ship and an unproven captain, or lose everything you own (which was significant since Crowhurst had a wife and several children). You'll note the term "unproven captain" in there, too. Not only was he unproven, he'd never been out on the open sea! Did I mention suicidal? Flicking between archival footage of the pre- and post-race, and those of Crowhurst's friends, family, and acquaintances of today, Deep Water is put together masterfully. Initially seen as a poor sap who got in over his head, the film gradually shows you the limited choices Crowhurst had after months and months out on the water. His ship leaks. Equipment breaks. Psyche stretched to the breaking point (and beyond). Crowhurst finds himself lost in an internal struggle with no successful way out. It is interesting, too, to see the psychological breaks that other racers have as they deal with their solitary confinement on-board their respective boats.

The wave-like emotions that you'll feel as you watch this astounding documentary may make you a bit ill (not unlike trying to get your sea-legs). And you'll probably be frustrated at the choices being made; perhaps just as frustrated as poor Mr. Crowhurst.

The ending is also amazing in that we get to see the actual ship that Crowhurst sailed, sitting deserted and rotting on a Caribbean beach ...not unlike other things that felt deserted and rotting toward the end of this poorly thought-out race.

Incredible.

Sad Yet Well Made and Engrossing Tale.

[isabelle1955 · 9 October 2007]

I remember the events of this movie, the ill fated cruise of Donald Crowhurst in 1968, in the Golden Globe single handed around the world yacht race. I was a 13 year old, living in England. The previous year Francis Chichester (later Sir Francis; he was knighted for his exploits) had completed the first solo circumnavigation of the globe. I remember it mostly because we were given time off school to watch his return (on a grainy black and white TV!) and then his knighting by the Queen. It provoked a huge outpouring of patriotic fervor in the UK. It all seems so quaint now. Chichester became a national hero, but he had stopped half way, in Australia, to re-fit his yacht, so the next logical step for yachtsmen was to attempt the journey without stopping.

It's important to remember that this was a world pre-GPS, when communications on land were still pretty erratic, never mind in the middle of the ocean. Now with GPS receivers that fit on a key chain and calculate a position within a metre anywhere on earth, it's hard to recall a time when you could go to sea and quite literally, vanish. As Donald Crowhurst did.

A number of yachtsmen signed up (all men back then), including mystery man, Crowhurst. Essentially a weekend sailor, Crowhurst had not been a spectacular success in any previous enterprise, including careers in the British Army, the Air Force and as an electronics entrepreneur selling navigation aids. He wanted to do something big with his life, and he saw the five thousand pound first prize (well over $100,000 in today's money) and the ensuing publicity as a means of kick starting his business. He signed a deal with a sponsor that proved more watertight than his boat, and which meant failure would bankrupt him, and soon found himself a popular figure with journalists as he prepared for the race. Now the Brits always love the idea of the gutsy amateur taking on the 'pros'. (Think Eddie the Eagle losing endless Olympic ski jump competitions, and the amateur riders who regularly start the Grand National horse race.) The public queued up to see him set off, but his boat wasn't really ready, and even as he started (the last competitor to leave the UK) Crowhurst must have known he didn't seriously have a chance. But too much was riding on him to quit.

In the wonderful archive footage we see doubt written all over his poor wife's face. Left behind with their 4 children, she is interviewed movingly throughout the film, together with one of Crowhurst's sons. She was in a no-win situation. Had she attempted to stop him, she would have been considered a spoiler, but afterward she was riven with doubt, as to whether she could have saved his life by stopping him. Faced with the certain truth that his boat was leaking and would never make it through the southern oceans, and unable to turn around and face ridicule, bankruptcy and ignominy, Crowhurst devised a plan to cheat. Laid up offshore Argentina and Brazil, out of radio contact, he waited for the leaders to round Cape Horn and start back up the Atlantic, thinking he could sneak in at the end of the line and pretend he had sailed all the way around the globe. He elaborately falsified his logs, and made 16mm films and audio recordings to back up his plan. But as one after another the other competitors dropped out, he realized that in fact he would come in 2nd and his logs would be scrutinized. Unable to face certain detection, his journal suggests he lost his grip on reality and eventually committed suicide. His yacht was found. He never was.

This beautifully edited film also follows the journey of Bernard Moitessier, an experienced and enigmatic French sailor, who was in second place and certain of the fastest journey prize, when he abruptly left the race, unable to deal with the clamour and publicity he knew he would face, and sailed into the wide blue yonder, eventually pulling up some 10 months later in Tahiti. Having spent some seven years working at sea myself, (albeit on very different ships to these) I well understand the pull of the ocean. Standing on deck, seeing water in every direction to the horizon, knowing there's a couple of miles of water below you, nothing between you and oblivion but a thin metal hull, without easy access to TV or radio (even nowadays on most working ships, you feel pretty isolated), it's possible to truly escape from the responsibilities of everyday life for a while. There is some thoughtful analysis of what drives people to attempt this kind of very long, lonely journey and the effect it has on the human mind. Most people would think that attempting to raise 4 children is adventure enough, but much is made of the need for self discovery in the hardships at sea, the search for self.

I strongly suspect that Robin Knox Johnston, the ex navy guy who won the race (and many since) probably knew pretty well who he was before he set off, which was why he succeeded not just in winning the race but also retaining his sanity en route. Those who went searching for something profound within themselves, may not have entirely liked what they found.

The marvelous archive footage of Britain in the late 60s is almost reason enough to watch this, (did it really look quite that bad? I don't remember it looking quite so dowdy, but perhaps we blot out the worst aspects of the past?) but overall, it is an excellently well made and engrossing movie. Highly recommended.

A most unlikely protagonist

[bv6461 · 9/10 · 9 September 2007]

Note: This should probably be read only after watching the film.

It is very rare to find a documentary or movie that focuses on the loser. Deep Water does just this, making it one of the most thought provoking films in a very long time. It does not provide us with a hero to look up to, but rather an anti-hero who forces us to look into ourselves.

The film is about a group of men who attempt to sail around the globe, singlehandedly, and without stopping. Only one makes it, several die, one decides not to return home, each of them on a psychological journey intriguing enough to merit entire films for themselves. Yet the most interesting is Donald Crowhurst, or rather the way that he is portrayed by the filmmakers and our reactions to him as viewers.

By any standards this man should be considered a despicable character, yet why is he depicted so heroically? Why are we so sympathetic to him? From the beginning he made all of the wrong choices. He risked his family financially to get the boat, he left at a more dangerous time to get more publicity, he ignored all of the warnings despite his lack of experience, he chose to lie instead of admitting defeat, these choices snowball until the inevitable and final one: suicide. All for what? A place in history? A feeling of accomplishment? Perhaps. What is important to consider is whether this mans situation was inevitable.

Each individual must ask himself if his natural human drive for fame and accomplishment would bring him to such recklessness, and I believe that examining your own reaction to Crowhurst's story will offer at least some answer to that question.

Explore This!

[Deckard-16 · 9/10 · 17 March 2008]

If extreme activities (and I don't mean the Hollywood ones like UFC & X-Games) and the people who pursue them interest you then seek this doc out.

This is one of those truth-is-stranger-than-fiction tales of Donald Crowhurts's obsession to prove himself against great odds. Those odds were stacked by Mother Nature, the media and his own mind. It is also about a time lost to us --although it was only 40 years ago.

The filmmakers have done a great job in gathering a wide range of material to tell his story and the story of the great race that consumed him.

I couldn't help but to think about Timothy Treadwell and the Apollo astronauts in the 2 great docs GRIZZLY MAN and IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON while experiencing --you don't simply "watch"-- this story.

If you live in a big city buy it or rent it. It is worth the effort to find. I had to travel 100 miles to L.A. to buy it and I am glad I did.

brilliant

[film_reviewer-1 · 10/10 · 19 September 2007]

Filmmakers made a rather boring everyman's story look interesting and complex by focusing on his wife back at home. At the same time, we're exposed to a truly original, existential French loner.

The film is more than a documentary. Hardly ever do I feel that I've experienced something that's accidentally profound, which makes it all the more profound.

Film has visually interesting interior moments. Absolutely loved the journey the filmmakers took me on. (Quite a lot of Europeans in the credits). Hopefully, PBS will screen this so that it reaches a wider audience in the USA.

don't miss - the documentary (for mariner fans or not)

[phellinus · 10/10 · 28 April 2011]

I often write a lot of gibberish on here, but this movie really stuck with me and deserves a straightforward review.

A true tragedy, narrated by an icy, and haunting Tilda Swinton, is so surreal that you wouldn't believe it's true.

Immediately after watching this film I ordered the following two books that further expanded and enlightened the viewer/reader on the intricate details of this now forgotten human struggle of ridiculous endurance. Without question, this documentary is the film that has most affected me and still stays with me to this day - even after a few years of my initial viewing (though I do throw it on for guests quite frequently).

Also, do delve into these two books on this race to further grasp the depths of the human condition in isolation and the burden of facing impossible choices, choices that I hope never cross my path:

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst

A Voyage for Madmen

At Sea

[ThurstonHunger · 8/10 · 24 February 2008]

Even if you do not typically enjoy documentaries, odds are you will find this one fascinating. Not only does it have a well-mapped out plot that while easy to follow, contains its interesting detours; it also has a very strong emotional resonance, and not one that relies on a simple specific tone. Instead the emotions here are as profound and turbulent as the seas featured.

That being said, if you know nothing of Donald Crowhurst and the 1968 single-handers boat race around the world...as was the case for me...please stop reading, and rent/view this film.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

My friend Brian recommended this at the same time that my Aunt had sent me a clipping linking this film with Antonioni's work In 2007, I was mesmerized by several of Antonioni's films, still am! To connect this film to Antonioni, I think is a bit of a stretch, the character most likely to be seen in one of Michaelangelo's movies is Francoise Moitessier de Cazalet. It's funny on the main IMDb page, he isn't even listed as playing "Himself" which is probably a function of his lengthy name, as opposed to his self realization/renunciation. Since Moitessier sails right out of the race, that could be considered is a bit like Anna in L'Avventura. Quite a major minor character.

While there are many things to love about this film: the actual footage from the time, the stoic best friend, the sheer power of the Roaring Forties, I walked away with a simple connection. A man, truly at sea. There have been times in my life where I wonder how I got to such a point, caught between dreams and reality, feeling like a stowaway in my own skin. It may be that I'm reading too much into this documentary, and that in turn the directors read too much into Crowhurst, but I found that sense as spell-binding as the other secrets kept in this film.

On the odd chance that Crowhurst's wife (who seemed a remarkable study in restraint with understandably conflicted overtones) and his children (so young in the found footage, and still young at this late date in the sense of their pain and pride for their father), I am certain the comments here and the film itself fail to catch the man that your father was. In his death however, he has given the world a glimpse of something like a lost myth, he is a pre-GPS Odysseus. Never finding his body adds to the air of frail immortality, if not the stature of a cosmic being of which he had writ.

This film sticks with you after the viewing, as if you expect another twist to emerge from the deep waters. Or at the very least, you hope for the Moitessier sequel.

Thurston Hunger 8/10

Intimate yet factual documentary that makes for fascinating viewing (SPOILERS)

[bob the moo · 4 December 2007]

Although I will always be there watching, I can also understand how it is easy to criticise the studios for churning out very slight variations on the same stories, action and characters. Sequels are the worst for it but there are also plenty of films that will just copy anything that has been successful before. It is not just films of course, television does it endlessly as well – churning out endless entries in whatever genre is doing well at that moment (DIY, reality competitions etc). I am rambling here so let me get to the point, or rather, let me say why I am currently thinking this stuff.

Well the reason is that there are countless personal and public untold stories out there from today and yesterday that are ripe for the telling and Deep Water should be commended for not only doing that, but doing it in such an effective and engaging manner. We pick up the story here at the point where the solo round the world effort had just been completed but with one stop in Australia where extensive repairs etc were carried out. With the public engaged and spirits high, The Times launched a prize race to go around the world on solo yacht but with no stops. Nine men stepped up to the challenge and one of these was Donald Crowhurst. Starting from scratch and rushing to keep to the race deadline, Crowhurst risks everything to take part – not just his life but possible financial ruin as well.

From the start he had problems but he had not yet gone south round Africa before it was clear the extent of his problems would see him die in the most challenging part. However his only other option (to give up and turn back) would see him ruined and ridiculed. At this point his lies began as he began over reporting his location – a claim that saw him heralded as breaking existing speed records. However this was unsustainable as a lie until he picked his third option – to remain in the Atlantic and wait for the race leaders to slip in behind them for the comparatively easy journey north back to England. He would not try and win but would be a runner-up and thus subject to less scrutiny, and hopefully he would get away with it. However things didn't turn out that way.

To say what happened out loud just makes it sound like a man cheated in a race and had a breakdown as a result but that is doing it a disservice and happily the film does not make that mistake. Instead what it does is tell the story in a way that does not shirk the facts but does not ignore the fact that Crowhurst was a man and that his story is ultimately a tragedy. It is a difficult balancing match but it achieves it by using Crowhurst's logs and footage to let him speak from beyond the grave. Contributions from others in the race and his family help to flesh this out but their "opinions" are well balanced by letting Crowhurst speak for himself. The use of lots of archive footage also helps bring the story alive and prevents it feeling like old and irrelevant. As others have commented already, I was surprised by just how engaging and touching it was and, having never heard this story in the slightest, it did then put me in mind of how many other interesting stories must be out there that are gripping even if they don't involve giant transforming robots fighting one another.

Overall an engaging and very well put together documentary. The story is told with a documentary tone but it never forgets that this is a story of a person and that it ultimately is a tragedy for the individuals involved, even if it is a footnote in a sporting history book if you look at it from a distance. The intimacy of the telling stops it being this way and ultimately it is a better film for it.

Fantastic journey

[GethinVanH · 8/10 · 20 July 2008]

This is an excellent documentary about a story I hadn't heard about before. The first solo, non-stop sailing race around the world took place in 1968-69 and involved a handful of racers. It's a truly fascinating story about man vs. nature and man vs. himself. The story focuses on Donald Crowhurst, the tragic figure in this story. The film elegantly combines interviews with footage which was shot by the sailors themselves aboard their boats. The story is very suspenseful and sad as we learn the details behind the history of Donald Crowhurst. This is one of the best documentaries of the past few years. It has true human emotion in it as the men face this almost impossible task of navigating the world non-stop on their own.

Life stranger than fiction

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 11 September 2015]

In 1967, Francis Chichester circumnavigates the world sailing solo. It catches the imagination of Britain. Chichester stopped in Australia and that is only the thing left to do. The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race is a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation sailing race. From June to October 1968, nine sailors leave Britain to attempt the race but most fail. There are some unlikely turns and one true tragedy. Donald Crowhurst has a struggling electronic navigation business. He is taken with the thrill of the adventure and has his own tri-hull design. He would risk everything including the family home. He seems to be a weekend sailor and unprepared for the dangerous race ahead.

This is an amazing story. It's high adventure and it's the deepest darkest depths of the human soul. Despite having so much material, it is still missing Crowhurst's voice. There are his log books and his films. However I long to see him explain his actions in his own voice. His descend into madness cannot be properly portrayed by simply reading his entries. There is something about seeing it in the man's eyes. I would love to see this as a movie with a great actor taking the role.

Incredible story

[nilstockglobal · 9/10 · 23 September 2018]

This story has everything hollywood could wish for in a story; courage, fear, hope, joy, love, lies and tragedy. Hollywood had a crack at turning this epic story into a blockbuster movie starring a very good actor in Colin Firth; however, in my opinion they failed miserably as it does not hold a candle to this documentary.

lost at sea

[blitzebill · 10/10 · 15 June 2008]

well-made documentary about a sailing race, sanity and the loss of both.

i remembered reading Sir Francis Chichester's account of his trip around the world when i was in high school as i watched this film. what an adventure that was.

deep water tells an equally fascinating story.

it takes a special person and an excellent sailor to manage a non-stop trip around the world...alone.

this film does a great job of demonstrating that.

i love to sail, and my brother races J-30s.

but i could never accomplish such a feat.

Magellenic Trim

[tedg · 2 January 2012]

There are the things you do and things you do not, the line between describing a life. Ideally at the end you will have drawn something beautiful.

Superficially, this is one superb documentary. It is really well put together and by grace has enough original material to keep the current day storytellers from dominating the time. I did not know the story beforehand and I have to say that the way it developed in the telling was masterful. It tells the story of a stereotypical doofus Brit, caught in a depressed country with little national narrative at the time.

Someone sails around the world, is knighted, and celebrated as a valued example of the British spirit. (England is the only country on the planet that bestows such a title and blithely expects the rest of the world to honor their people through their representatives with every naming.)

The London press drove these stories so then sponsors a solo, non-stop race around the world. The idea is to generate exciting stories. Everyone benefits, except our fall guy. He takes the challenge, an inexperienced sailor in a boat cheaply made that had never been sailed and that was poorly provisioned. His sponsor promises ruin if he returns early.

Naturally he runs into difficulty from the first day and the story is a slow unfolding of a soul into well documented madness. As I say, it is a remarkably well told story.

But there is another level. All the storytellers here are the ones that got him into this mess so that they could own the story. That it turned out to be a story of dishonor instead of victory seems to have worked out well for them, especially the newspaper creep. On a second viewing, their status as untrusted narrators overwhelms and becomes the deep waters of the title.

But you know, the difference in character between the hero and buffoon here is no more than a smudge. The handsome, rich winner of the race — who pontificates soberly here — was an experienced solo sailer in a lavishly outfitted, fully tested boat. He was sailing waters that he knew and was in constant radio contact of help. He knew to leave early when the winds were advantageous. Our loser had none of that. I'll take his choices as the brave ones, even the beautiful ones.

One wonders. The documents he left showed him going crazy. But he made up everything else; why not this?

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

A tribute to a hero that lost and won

[rob-broekhof-1 · 10/10 · 9 August 2019]

First I saw "The mercy (2018)" with gorgeous Rachel Weisz and posh Colin Firth. Then I read the reviews and was inspired by one of those reviews to watch this documentary. This watching sequence was right to me. "The mercy" was inspiring enough to search for the documentary. The documentary was inspiring to look into my own life & soul. Besides, it's remarkable that I've watched it on YouTube, because that gave me some suggestions to see a few of the fastest sailboats. It somehow proves that Donald Crowhurst had a vision about trimarans ...

A well made Docu-Drama that seems to be more of a healing gift to the family Donald left behind

[drewmpowers · 23 August 2011]

There are only 2 reasons I am giving this documentary 5 out of 10 instead of 1 out of 10. 1: It was well done from a cinematic perspective and I have watched a lot of crappy made documentaries and this is not one. 2: I do have extreme sympathy for the family that Donald Crowhurst left behind and I think this was done with their fragile hearts in mind. Maybe the only honorable thing in the whole film.

To sum this one up for you, this documentary, in my opinion, is an extension of the lies that engulfed the voyage of Donald Crowhurst and ultimately his life. If you stripped the beautiful images, music, weeping family/friends and lengthy English imaginative/over the top vocabulary to describe this man's self built predicament, you are left with a man who wanted to be famous and have all the glory of a king in exchange for zero sacrifice.

Now I hate to stomp on a man's life that has already come to pass, but if something like this has been produced for public consumption, I feel I can offer up my opinion and still be within good taste. This entire documentary to me was one giant farce set to bring sympathy and understanding to a truth that is quite the opposite.

Donald Crowhurst wanted to sail around the world and had his own personal ideas as to why. I can guess at why, but no one truly knows outside of Donald. What seems evident to me is Donald was not interested in overcoming hardships or coming to terms with unrealized expectations/failure. In the face of failures, he consistently chose to either lie or run. The only thing he never failed at in this spectacle was choosing to run or lie. It is as though he thought he could just pack up a boat and truly sail around the world while eating a bologna sandwich. When the "stuff" hit the fan early in his voyage, he chose to cower in the middle of the water between Africa and S. America and wait for over 6 months to rejoin with the rest of the sailors who actually went around the world and hopefully cruise into 3rd or 4th place under the radar. Not to forget, he also sent messages back home lying about his location and speed of travel. He even claimed a world record! To his horror, events unfold that leave Donald in 1st pace with days left and will most definitely expose his lies under the scrutiny he will surely receive when he arrives home. Faced with another decision of manning up because he has a family to lead and that loves him and needs him, he chose to drift away and commit suicide instead of facing the music. But before committing suicide, he basically writes an angry letter to God or to the absence of God...but ultimately blaming the cruel world/god for his self inflicted wounds.

Now the only reason I can think that this documentary was done in such a way that you might think he was some conflicted individual trying to save the world from hunger, is as a gift to the obviously "still filled with pain" family he left behind. I mean, I kept shouting during this thing "he is just a selfish liar! Quit making him out to be Gandhi!" So he didn't want to face his failures. Who does? The hard thing to do is to face them with dignity and go on. Not to conjure up some giant hoax and when it all implodes run away and kill your self. I can think of no other reason to illustrate Donald's decision's on the sail boat in the way this documentary does other than part of an agreement to get his wife and son to participate. You keep having to remind yourself that this is not a man that was drafted to some war or sent to a concentration camp. They keep narrating the decisions he faced as if he was given the choice of only being able to save one of his two children from a fire or something. Reality just keeps telling you that this perspective is a farce. There was only one hard decision Donald had to make and it was early on when he knew he couldn't make it around the world. Either risk his life to finish the trip, turn around and end it short of expectations or create a great hoax and ignore reality all together. ALL OTHER "HARD" DECISIONS AFTER THAT ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF HIS DECISION TO CREATE A HOAX! So after that, they are all self inflicted dilemmas.

Careful watching this one. While it is well done from cinematic perspective, if you have any sense of purpose to be genuine in life, you might throw something at your HDTV and break it.