4. Deluge (1933)
The first all-talking disaster movie tells the frightening tale of a series of earthquakes that destroy the West Coast of America and unleash a gigantic tidal wave that submerges New York. With virtually all inhabitants perishing, a handful of survivors are tasked with rebuilding their nation Blending elements of science fiction with extreme natural disasters,
Deluge stands the test of time and is equally effective today as it must have been back in 1933. The opening sequences are extremely suspenseful as scientists discover that the Earths weather has gone berserk and a range of severe conditions are arising. The films scientists do not offer any reasoning behind this, which is more effective than many of the modern disaster films that get bogged down in offering explanations for the narrative occurrences. Instead, the events of Deluge remain steeped in mystery and are that much more intimidating for this. After the destruction, the story looks at the relationships between survivors and the effect that such devastation has on humankind. Equally engaging as a tale of human courage as an action driven disaster film, Deluge is a fantastic example of how successful such films can be. The special effects are incredible for the time and its hard to believe that Deluge was produced whilst sound features were still experiencing teething problems. It was a hugely ambitious project and the power of the films objective resonates during a viewing. Interestingly, the scenes of NYC flooding after being hit by a tidal wave were a huge inspiration for the similar sequence in The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 71 years later! This film was thought to have been completely lost (excluding the scene where NYC is obliterated by the tidal wave) until an Italian-dubbed version was thankfully located in the late 1980s. Since this discovery Deluge has received a much-deserved VHS and DVD release, so seek it out!