From Disney classics to warlike torpedo battles to horror scenarios with killer whales: the range of cinematic design on, in and on the water is large, not only in terms of the offers for backdrops and decor that the medium of water makes the medium of film between seductive sirens, legendary shipwrecks and bloodthirsty sharks - what is supposedly hidden under the surface may fascinate, amaze and sometimes also terrify.

Only a meager five percent of the ocean has been explored so far.

The endless depths offer enough material for cinematic narratives, and so the German Film Institute & Film Museum Frankfurt (DFF) is now devoting a special exhibition to the connection between ebb, flow and change of scenery.

When you think of underwater movies, the first thing that comes to mind is sinking ships or adventurous pirates.

However, military conflicts or the tragedy of a Titanic sinking into the sea are only the historical-realistic side of the matter;

In addition to such realism, there is also the animated film genre, in which it is not the anthropomorphized animal that becomes a monster, as in the case of the “Jaws”, but possibly the human being.

Those who like it a little kitschy are served with musical films in which cartoon characters swim with daredevil witches and Mary Poppins.

Or how about a certain pool eroticism in a love film, ranging from jumping into cool water to a romantic kiss under water - in slow motion, of course?

Canvas as an aquarium

With the large selection of films that are touched upon in the show, it becomes clear that the exhibition is by no means just devoted to pure underwater films, but also to works in which water is only a marginal element, be it because a car crashes into a river , be it just splashing about in a bathtub.

When you enter the exhibition hall, your gaze immediately falls on the semicircular structure in the middle of the room.

A screen reaching up to the ceiling shows scenes from films and lives up to the idea of ​​a “goldfish bowl”, as it surrounds visitors like an aquarium.

The reflective floor throws back the semi-transparent images of a singing Ariel or James Bond fighting in a submarine, the deep blue and turquoise colors even seem to blur.

The underwater world illusion is perfect, the concept of curator Michael Kinzer is obvious at first glance.

Aesthetics are the priority.

The visual and auditory levels merge into a conglomerate that appeals to all the senses, in line with the title of the exhibition "Im Tiefenrausch".

This occurs when the nitrogen concentration in the brain increases due to changing pressure conditions during diving.

At 30 meters or more, states of anxiety or euphoria set in, eventually unconsciousness and death follow;

Joy and sorrow lie side by side, both in the ocean and on screen.

The rest of the exhibition is kept minimalist.

There are no props or other physical exhibits, only numerous canvases that bundle the material according to thematic complexes.

From friendship and freedom to extraterrestrial life and vengeful whales, everything is included.

Of course, a few historical facts should not be missing either: Did you know that the first underwater film, "Thirty Leagues under the Sea" from 1914, shows a dead horse in a cage that is supposed to attract sharks?

Or that "20.

000 Leagues Under the Sea” from 1916 was the first feature film to show real underwater footage?

The adventures of Captain Nemo in his submarine Nautilus, written by Jules Verne, were later filmed several times.

Water documentaries by Jacques-Yves Cousteau

A separate area is dedicated to underwater documentary films, using the example of filmmakers Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Hans Hass, as well as films that are not for the faint-hearted.

According to the recommendation board of the "Black Lagoon", bloody horror scenes or scenes in which the characters threaten to drown in claustrophobic rooms should only be viewed from the age of 16.

A sound installation by the Lebanese sound designer Rana Eid completes the exhibition.

Sound compositions by more than 40 sound artists show how noises are alienated under water, how they sound more and more hollow and distorted.

The exhibition thus illuminates the symbolic orders of the film under water in some detail.

What is missing, however, is an examination of the background content of the films.

Ecological, technical or biological questions are left out.

Anyone who would like to delve deeper into the subject has the opportunity to do so with the help of the detailed accompanying programme.

In cooperation with the Senckenberg Museum, the DFF offers workshops, discussions and guided tours.

Whether it is an art-historical consideration of mythical aquatic creatures, discussions about the exploitation of the seas or lectures by marine biologists on the communication of dolphins: Here is what the exhibition is missing.

In the depths of intoxication - film under water.

In the Film Museum, Frankfurt;

until January 8, 2023.