AMC's Nautilus
Action, political intrigue, plot twists and a healthy amount of sea monster skirmishes:
These are just some of the many reason why even those unfamiliar with the works of Jules Verne will find "Nautilus" to be an engaging SciFi adventure series.
Here are my (spoiler-free) thoughts on the show.
Note: as I write this, "Nautilus" is airing only on SVT: This is How I Watched it Living Outside of Sweden
When I heard that there was going to be a TV series about Captain Nemo's backstory, I was mightily aprehensive. The main reason for this apprehension was the mere fact that Captain Nemo's past is so dark and tragic. Thankfully, the series begins after the horrific events of the 1857 rebellion and just as the Nautilus is launched. What happened to Nemo's family is shown in flashbacks which explain the events without being graphic.
When I began the show, I honestly had very low expectations. I didn't really expect to like it. To my delighted asonishment, it turned out to be one of the best film tributes to Jules Verne I've ever seen - no hyperbole.
Throughout the series, there are fight scenes, periodic depictions of people bleeding and a couple "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" innuendo jokes, so I wouldn't watch it with a small child, but I think it would be appropriate to watch with most young teenagers (13+).
I believe both well-read Jules Verne fans and those who've hardly heard the name "Captain Nemo" will enjoy the intriguing storyline, likable characters and aesthetic scenery. There are many other factors which made me fall in love with "Nautilus" as well:
The Man of the Seas
The character of Captain Nemo has always facinated me. I was blown away by how perfectly and accurately Captain Nemo was portrayed in this series. Shazad Latif, in my opinion, is an immaculate Captain Nemo and he really brought the character to life with all his complexities. Out of all the film portrayals of Captain Nemo I've seen, I'd have to say his has been by far my favorite.
Tributes to Indian History and Culture
I'm American an my husband is Indian. He and I were both very impressed with the way in which Indian culture and history were presented. I want to see more shows like this to teach our son about his heritage.
Many of the action scenes reminded me of South Indian cinema. In one episode there is a scene where the Nautilus crew is playing cricket against some Englishmen, which may seem a little disconnected from the rest of the story, but Bollywood fans may recognize it as a delightful tribute to "Lagaan."
The Writers Were Well-Verse in Vernian Lore
Although the story wasn't 100% accurate to the book, the writers obviously had read Verne's books and knew the nuances of Nemo's story and background quite throughly.
There were certain details which made me excited, such as when Nemo has an enigmatic exchange with an Englishman in which they greet each other warmly and seem to be thanking each other for...something. Nemo ends the conversation by saying, "Give my regards to Phileas!"
In Verne's other classic, "Around the World in 80 Days," Princess Aouda is the widow of the Raj of Bundelkhand. Since Jules Verne often dropped little hints that his books existed in the same universe, I always wondered if Aouda and Nemo were distantly related, since Bundelkhand is Nemo's kingdom of origin.
A question is posed: in this conversation, was Nemo thanking the Foggs for saving someone he cared about? This is the first time I've ever seen anyone address the detail that Aouda and Nemo might be relatives.
Tributes to the artwork of Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou
I noticed several shots which were obvious tributes to the first-edition illustrations of Jules Verne's classics, such as Captain Nemo standing on the submarine deck with his spyglass, and the map of Lincoln Island on a cave wall. Those details absolutely thrilled me!
Everything I've Ever Wanted in a Verne-Inspired TV Series - Except for That Cliffhanger!
Everything about this show absolutely floored me. It was everything I could have hoped for in a Captain Nemo TV series...and then it ended.
Such a well-done series ending with fairly significant loose ends felt like a punch in the gut more forceful than the maelstrom itself. I've been trying not to let it overshadow the rest of the show. I wish with all my heart that there could be a season two!
If anyone's curiosity gets the better of them, I compiled a list HERE of questions I desperately want to know the answers to. I hope someone may be able to answer my questions one day!
I want NEED more!
While I'm still coping with my post-series let down, I find myself pining away for more shows like this; shows based off of classic adventure novels which honor the spirit of the origional author.
I want shows which are imaginative, exciting and engaging, but have snippets of real-life science, culture and history woven in. Incidentally, I daresay these are the same elements which make the stories of Jules Verne himself so timeless.
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Captain Nemo
An interesting fact is the name Nemo in Captain Nemo’s name, means nobody or no one in Latin (or the Greek word ��Outis,” which means no one, this greek word is used, a lot in Greek mythology, where a character hides their identity), so when Captain Nemo says his name in Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, Captain Nemo is literally saying he is no one or a mystery
Captain Nemo appears in another book by Jules Verne, which was, The Mysterious Island, where in this book when asked what his name is, he says "i don't have a name", adding to the mystery of Captain Nemo, plus the fictional legend or mythology, that Jules Verne puts around the character of Captain Nemo in the novels, but later on in this novel, he does say that his name is Prince Dakkar, in this novel, Jules Verne also makes the character of Captain Nemo, Indian which is interesting,, because in the book, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, the character did not have a nationally, but, Jules Verne was considering making the character, Polish, but he must have changed his mind.
(On a side note in the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the character of Nemo is Indian, the makers of this movie probably got the idea, from the book The Mysterious Island, as Nemo is presented as being Indian in this. book)
Below are some interesting pictures of CaptainNemo from the Captain Nemo Wikipedia article:
References:
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“The human mind delights in grand conceptions of supernatural beings.”
Plot: 8/10
Pierre Aronnax’s journey to kill an elusive sea monster crosses paths with the enigmatic Captain Nemo and his wondrous submarine, the Nautilus. This fated meeting will lead Pierre and his two companions on a fantastic journey across the world’s oceans.
Characters: 8/10
I try to learn from each new book I read to improve my own writing. This is one of those instances where I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where the magic lives, it is brilliant, and I don’t know why.
Setting: 9/10
Have you seen those award-winning nature documentaries about the oceans? Take one of those documentaries, insert underwater battles, Atlantis, submarine volcanoes, and sea monsters.
Theme: 8/10
The all-consuming revenge that drives Captain Nemo, and his self-imposed exile, are dominant themes in the novel. I also get the impression that Jules Verne wanted the reader to consider the impact that industry and colonialism have on the environment and the “Third World”.
Style and Mood: 8/10
This book is the granddaddy of the Steampunk literary style, and it is plain to see why. Verne’s sense of wonder and his fascination with the technology used to construct the Nautilus is almost childlike. If I had one critique about this book it is the pages and pages filled with Latin whose sole purpose it is to distinguish one sea worm from another. To be fair, this isn’t a valid critique, this book was written in a different time, readers in the late 1800s would’ve found this very interesting.
Total Score: 9/10
Every fantasy, steampunk, sci-fi and adventure fan worth his salt must read this book. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a classic in each one of those genres.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CKj-x42L7t5/
https://www.juanjacquesjacobs.com/post/review-20-000-leagues-under-the-sea-by-jules-verne
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Does anybody else get the urge to build an incredibly high-tech submarine, name it after a beautiful extinct sea creature, use it to blow up the island you built it on, and then vanish into the waves, never to be heard from again, while secretly amassing the most wealth any human being could possibly have on the planet due to all the shipwrecks, and just stay underwater, living a fully self-sufficient life, until you die of old age while sitting on your pipe organ, playing a melancholic but fancy song?
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Júlio Verne, é Preciso
Verne foi imenso sucesso editorial na sua época, meados do século XIX. Raiz da ficção científica, ele próprio fruto de uma tradição fantástica ainda mais antiga. Se curte FC, você precisa conhecê-lo !
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