20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Author: Richard Fleischer

Ah, steampunk. While it didn't have a name for more than 30 years after 20,000 Leagues was released in 1954, you can trace so much of the steampunk aesthetic to this gloriously beautiful Walt Disney production based on the Jules Verne novel. Kirk Douglas is one of the real science fiction hero prototypes. His strong-jawed countenance was a major inspiration for heroes throughout the 50s and beyond. In 20,000 Leagues, he plays Ned Land, a sailor who ends up on Capt. Nemo's nuclear submarine The Nautilus, for an adventure. James Mason, as Nemo, gives a performance that helped define the kind of mad scientist/driven captain anti-hero, that would inhabit science fiction films for decades to come! Even Peter Lorre, famous for his villainous portrayals, in one of his few color performances, makes you believe that he might be the hero type after all. Though, no matter how good everyone is in their roles, the thing you'll walk away from 20,000 Leagues with is the images of the Nautilus and the incredible under-water cinematography. Why it's on the list It's gorgeous, it's fun, and most of all, it is an inspiration for art directors even sixty years after its release!