A_Different_Drummer The great irony of course is that, because this was conceived as an "historical" -- almost educational -- drama, it never found an audience.Which of course is the insanity of the modern entertainment business.As a film, as a narrative, as a story, as entertainment it is perfect.Perfect as to script, casting, acting, direction, editing, the whole 9 years.In a parallel universe somewhere this film made it to theatres around the world and was cherished.In this is universe, it is actually hard to find a copy.

degracia A&E's "Longitude" is perhaps the most emotionally compelling, made for TV dramas yet. I was so impressed when I first saw Longitude on A&E that I had to buy it on DVD the minute it came out. A highly realistic, fully drawn out, historical drama of how one man's dream tamed time and space, "Longitude" strikes home with its all-star cast (including Jeremy Irons and Micheal Gambon) and two-part storyline. The first story is that of a carpenter, John Harrison, who struggled for almost 50 years to perfect a "practical and useful" marine chronometer. The second story revolves around Commander Rupert Gould, a man who discovers Harrison's forgotten prototypes and fights to not only restore the timepieces but to also restore the honor of Harrison."Longitude" is filled with tons of edge-of-your-seat, gritty scenes, and every second of the 200-minute film glows with a profound message. The ending scene is especially powerful, in which Rupert Gould remarks, "What makes a man great? A man may be great in his aims, or in his achievements, or in both...but I think that man is truly great who makes the world his debtor..who does something for the world which the world needs, and which nobody before him has done or known how to do."Definitely a great educational film to watch, and an excellent film to own. "Longitude" is an unforgettable experience and a demonstration of just how good a movie can be.

dmnkeen Being a big fan of Dava Sobel's bestselling book, I wondered how this intricate and, on the face of it, not particularly exciting story would translate to the screen.For the most part, director Sturridge has succeeded and with a sterling cast headed by Michael Gambon, Ian Hart, et al, really brought the race to resolve the longitude problem to brilliant life.Unfortunately, for me, the overall effect was disastrously marred by the framework narrative involving Jeremy Irons, which did not really add to the central drama. Every time Irons with his haughty-taughty constipated look appeared, I found myself counting the minutes until we were back in the thick of the real action and the real story involving Gambon.Nevertheless, this was a really accomplished production. Maybe when they repeat it or release it on video they could whittle it down to the bare necessities of the story and leave Irons on the cutting room floor.7/10

Kansas-5 A unique story about the institutional ignorance of bureaucracy. Wonderfully written, with focus upon the parallels in response to adversity in the lives of the father and son who developed the first accurate timepieces to insure safe navigation, and their WW II era admirer who restored their original clocks.The directing in this film is superb, the cinematography brilliant. A viewer can't help but experience visceral empathy with the protagonists and equally despise the studied ignorance of those who made the clockmakers' lives so difficult. It is a pleasure to view a film in which all the actors are so effortlessly competent.