The Titan sank following the Titanic wreckage and itself.
A new and fascinating documentary on Netflix explains why it was a known disaster.
One of the most special and impressive museums in Europe is the Vasa in Stockholm.
The museum is named after a sailing ship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged almost completely three hundred years later.
Today, it can be seen in the condition in which it set out.
It is a thrilling experience, teaching us many fascinating historical lessons: first, about how such ships looked inside and out, but the visit also has added value.
It is fascinating and chilling to read about the circumstances of the Vasa sinking.
It was a known disaster.
King Gustavus Adolphus made a big mistake by ordering the construction of the ambitious vessel and pushed it too far.
His subjects, responsible for the work, knew it did not meet safety standards, but they did not dare to tell their ruler, and in any case, it is not certain he would have listened.
That is how it is: when there are no checks and balances, sometimes it ends in the depths.
Without being mentioned directly, this story resonates in “Titan: The OceanGate Disaster,” a documentary recently released on Netflix after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.
It deals with a disaster caused by the entrepreneur Stockton Rush, whose neat hair looked like the classic villain in James Bond movies, and even his name seems created by a villain-name generator.
Rush, as remembered, was the CEO of OceanGate, which offered a tourist attraction: a trip in Titan, a small submarine that dived to the seabed to visit the Titanic wreck.
Unlike the Vasa museum, where ordinary people could visit, this was an experience for millionaires only.
Four of them found their deaths along with the entrepreneur, who was responsible for building the vessel and sank with it.
Like the Vasa, this disaster could have been prevented, and many indeed tried to prevent it.
The documentary shows how former employees of Rush raised countless warning signs: he aimed too far, or more accurately too deep, he prioritized profit over safety, and he built the submarine from non-durable materials.
All this fell on deaf ears.
The choice was between nodding every time the entrepreneur explained why he was right or leaving the project, which many did.
One dimension of the film is particularly worrying: some former employees launched a public fight to stop the madness but ultimately gave up because they lacked the status, money, and power to continue.
How many prophets of doom are among us who know about future disasters, but their voices are not strong enough to be heard?
According to the film, the four passengers alongside Rush trusted him and did not know about his lack of responsibility.
As once said by Carl Stanley, a former close associate, he built a “millionaire mouse trap.”
This documentary proves that money can save and sometimes kill the vast majority of humanity could never have afforded this death trap experience.
Who wants to be a millionaire? Sometimes it is better not to be.
According to reports at the time, the passengers died in a horrifying way.
Director Marc Monroe avoided these sensational details.
The documentary could easily have been disaster and death porn, but it was careful not to be.
It can be called “Submarine Not Yellow.”
It hardly describes the disaster itself but focuses on the circumstances leading to it and the lessons that can be learned.
The film did not reach first place in the streaming service viewing chart, and its limited success may be connected to its matter-of-fact approach.
It deserves full appreciation for this restrained approach and also deserves additional praise.
Thanks to the fascinating story, thorough investigation, and skillful production, it is interesting to watch and leaves an impression and many questions.
The central question, of course, is after the Vasa, the Titanic, and the Titan, what will be the next disaster?
One thing is certain: there will be those who warn about it in vain, and there will be a Netflix documentary about it.