Shattered City, an epic two-part mini-series, dramatizes a compelling piece of Canadian history. It is the story of how a tragic incident at the height of the First World War became a living metaphor for the worldwide conflict, and how Halifax arose from the ashes after severe destruction and devastation.
In the early hours of December 6, 1917, the Mont Blanc, a French-owned freighter loaded to the gunnels with thousands of tons of TNT, collided with a Belgian relief ship and exploded in the Halifax Harbour. The explosion was so vast that it killed more than 2,000 people, injured 9,000 more and completely flattened two square kilometres of northern Halifax.
Review
Based on a true story, and playing a character from that history, this really is a moving film. Although not featured heavily in the story, and as a result his character of Sam Barlow gets only a small opportunity to develop who he is and his motivations, the scenes he appears in are a joy to watch and GMW brings a charm to the character that leads to his pivotal scene when bringing a group of rescued children together and to safety.
I knew next to nothing about the events that happened in Halifax all those years ago, so I found this movie to be one of those gems in bringing the true horror of those events in a way that didn't make you feel like you were sitting in an extended history lesson, definitely recommended viewing.