MovieChat Forums > Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) Discussion > Did Fogg win?

Did Fogg win?

posted 11 years ago by denham
11 replies | jump to latest

If I were a member of the Reform Club facing a dent in my bank balance of £5,000 (more like £500,000 in today's money) I'd be tempted to argue that Fogg in fact failed to go around the world, starting as he did well within the northern hemisphere and remaining there throughout the entire voyage. Surely going all around the world entails describing something like a Great Circle (such as passing through both Poles, or if starting on the Equator then following it all the way round)? Starting at London, Fogg, if one was being completely strict, should have passed through the point diametrically opposite on the globe, ie the antipode, which is a few hundred miles SE of New Zealand. I might take a generous view and accept reaching New Zealand as close enough. But he didn't reach New Zealand. Or Australia. The closest he got was probably the Singapore Strait, about 6,000 miles away!

"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."

[–] fang123horn 11 years ago

I thought about that too and the novel is the same way, I think what is implied is that he went around the world where the British empire were closely intact. I think the foundations in New Zealand and Australia are a little bit shaky or maybe Jules Verne did not want to bother with that continent or was a oversight on his part, who knows?

[–] denham 11 years ago

I thought I'd check what the novel says. There it is apparent those wagering are in agreement that the route will be as stated by a report in the Daily Telegraph:

From London to Suez via Mont Cenis and Brindisi, by rail and steamboats ... 7 days. From Suez to Bombay, by steamer... 13. From Bombay to Calcutta, by rail... 3. From Calcutta to Hong Kong, by steamer... 13. From Hong Kong to Yokohama (Japan), by steamer... 6. From Yokohama to San Francisco, by steamer... 22. From San Francisco to New York, by rail...7. From New York to London, by steamer and rail... 9.
Total... 80 days.

However, in the film this detailed information is not supplied.

"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."

[–] DrakeStraw 8 years ago

They technically didn't go around the world. You have to pass through antipodes to do it cleanly. You can't do that while staying above the equator.

DrakeStraw
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[–] vranger (444) 4 years ago

No, you don't. LOL

[–] popcalent 9 years ago

I forget what happens in the movie, but in the novel Fogg describes the itinerary to the other members of the club before making it a bet. Therefore everybody was clear on what constituted winning/losing the bet.

[–] tmf_scipio 8 years ago

You have a very good point. They would definitely have to stipulate that before the wager began, or it could come across as bad form to add conditions after the fact.

I don't believe this was addressed in the book either, but it's been a long time since I read the book.

Hitler! C'mon, I'll buy you a glass of lemonade.

[–] movieghoul 8 years ago

Going around the world implies a circular trip in one direction. No reason it has to be the largest circle, as long as it's a circle.

[–] denham 8 years ago

... but if I kept going east by walking clockwise in a 10 yard circumference circle around the South Pole (estimated time: 5 seconds), would you be happy to pay up? By parallel logic, if I walk once around the Washington Monument (a larger circle - estimated time: 1 minute)?

I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

[–] movieghoul 8 years ago

The South Pole? Technically, that is going around the world, but Fogg is starting nowhere near, so it's not relevant.

Going around the WM in a circle? No, you've circled the monument, not the world.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Fogg won. He went around the world in 79 days, technically. It was a sheer fluke that he found out about gaining a day. End of.

[–] daveyh (641) 3 years ago

well, he wasn't gonna paaaaaaadle to New Zealand

Sorry, wrong movie