A true story about the tragic explosion at Halifax Harbour, Canada, in the early hours of December 6, 1917.A true story about the tragic explosion at Halifax Harbour, Canada, in the early hours of December 6, 1917.A true story about the tragic explosion at Halifax Harbour, Canada, in the early hours of December 6, 1917.
- Awards
- 8 wins & 6 nominations
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Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia1,951 people were killed
- GoofsThe folding camera used for the family portrait is a type not made until the mid-30s. Nor in 1917 would there have been a self timer or a flash bulb. If the flash was supposed to have been done with flash powder(which was used at that time) it is unlikely an amateur would have it and it certainly could not have been set off by a self timer, even if one existed.
- Crazy creditsThis film is dedicated to the spirit and the memory of Constance "Connie" Bond Young August 9, 1911 - February 22, 2003
- ConnectionsFollowed by City of Ruins: The Halifax Explosion (2003)
Featured review
A Great Canadian Historical Epic
Granted it would seem that much of Shattered City is fictional, it is only BASED on fact as most films are. Nonetheless this is a great triumph for Canadian History to introduce everyone to a devastating event that still is one of the largest of it's kind in World History. Even still the film is only in small part about the actual explosion that rocked Halifax by a French ship carrying an unprecedented amount of munitions. The rest of the film is a story about a family dealing with the harsh realities of World War 1 and a Captain returned if only briefly to them with horrible memories of the deaths of his fallen friends.
Vincent Walsh leads the cast as this Captain. He's young and a great presence on screen, without a doubt one of the great Canadian Actors I've ever seen. He is intense and emotional as Charlie Collins and a stand out performance. I have to say that with the exception of a few minor performances the rest of the cast are very much supportive to Walsh. Their roles are small and there are a lot of characters in the film...too many to have any major stand out performances. They all do well...some worth mentioning are the younger members of the cast...Clare Stone, and Max Morrow, as well as Tamara Hope, and Lynne Griffin as the mother of the Collin's family. Everyone plays a role and they do it quite well. Nobody drags down the story which eventually builds up to the horrifying explosion which is done in a brilliant and terrifying fashion. Director and Canadian Bruce Pittman does exactly what is needed to give the film the Canadian Uniqueness and importance while still making it mainstream and watchable for anyone.
The Film captures the essence of the time, and war, and the people that founded this country. They also show a time when Canadians pulled together to help each other and save lives. The film is very long, an epic length for sure and although sometimes it drags a little I believe the importance of the film and the quality of it outweighs it's slightly overdone length. It now sits on my table in the same group as Anne Of Green Gables which is a high order in my books. For those who are complaining about it's fictional content just remember that 99% of American made films about history are wrought with added dramatics and to finally have a Canadian Epic of this caliber at all is enough to accept the dramatic content. The only other critical point I can make is that the sub story about the German spies preparing to bomb the fleet never is dealt with or much mentioned after the explosion, I think it was perhaps avoidable and could have edited out but nonetheless every Canadian should see this film and history buffs will love it!! 7/10
Vincent Walsh leads the cast as this Captain. He's young and a great presence on screen, without a doubt one of the great Canadian Actors I've ever seen. He is intense and emotional as Charlie Collins and a stand out performance. I have to say that with the exception of a few minor performances the rest of the cast are very much supportive to Walsh. Their roles are small and there are a lot of characters in the film...too many to have any major stand out performances. They all do well...some worth mentioning are the younger members of the cast...Clare Stone, and Max Morrow, as well as Tamara Hope, and Lynne Griffin as the mother of the Collin's family. Everyone plays a role and they do it quite well. Nobody drags down the story which eventually builds up to the horrifying explosion which is done in a brilliant and terrifying fashion. Director and Canadian Bruce Pittman does exactly what is needed to give the film the Canadian Uniqueness and importance while still making it mainstream and watchable for anyone.
The Film captures the essence of the time, and war, and the people that founded this country. They also show a time when Canadians pulled together to help each other and save lives. The film is very long, an epic length for sure and although sometimes it drags a little I believe the importance of the film and the quality of it outweighs it's slightly overdone length. It now sits on my table in the same group as Anne Of Green Gables which is a high order in my books. For those who are complaining about it's fictional content just remember that 99% of American made films about history are wrought with added dramatics and to finally have a Canadian Epic of this caliber at all is enough to accept the dramatic content. The only other critical point I can make is that the sub story about the German spies preparing to bomb the fleet never is dealt with or much mentioned after the explosion, I think it was perhaps avoidable and could have edited out but nonetheless every Canadian should see this film and history buffs will love it!! 7/10
helpful•11
- Robert_duder
- Feb 25, 2006
Details
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- Also known as
- La explosión de Halifax
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- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 55 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion (2003) officially released in India in English?
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