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a e s e h of t We take a look at The Mercy, the story of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst who took on the infamous 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
WORDS BY
Dan Warden
DISCOVER MORE The Mercy Directed by James March Starring Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis and Ken Stott Produced by StudioCanal
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ew film The Mercy, released early this year, tells the true and ultimately tragic story of amateur weekend sailor and businessman Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth) as he gambles everything to compete in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. In the hope of becoming the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping, Donald leaves his wife Clare (Rachel Weisz) and their children behind to embark on his vessel named the Teignmouth Electron. The film gives a fascinating insight into the struggles Crowhurst grappled with – one of the most enigmatic tales of recent times. When his business, Electron Utilisation, runs into financial trouble, Crowhurst is introduced to Taunton businessman, Stanley Best, who agrees to back Donald’s company and eventually sponsors his attempt to sail around the globe, a process that involves having a trimaran specially made to Crowhurst’s own specification.
As Donald prepares for the race – overseeing the building of the Teignmouth Electron – many around him believe that he’ll ‘snap out of it’, that he’ll never actually go through with the race – after all, he’s just an amateur weekend sailor who finds occasional solace on his small 20-foot boat, Pot of Gold. In fact, Rachel Weisz, who plays Donald’s wife, says: “I think Donald had a lot of madcap ideas which often didn’t get carried out, so at first when Clare hears he’s going to enter this race, it’s such a preposterous idea to her, because he’s not a professional sailor.” But as you become more immersed in the film, you start to realise that Donald Crowhurst isn’t going to let this one go, despite his obvious wavering as he approaches the journey’s beginning. When eventually he climbs aboard his vessel, Colin Firth’s portrayal really comes into its own, showing Crowhurst’s barely concealed dismay as he finds the Teignmouth Electron in a woefully unprepared state, attempting to keep a stiff upper lip for the sake of his onlooking family.
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Rachel Weisz as Clare Crowhurst in The Mercy
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16/03/2018 17:55