The story of an individual who is born and raised on a ship, learning about people and the outside world through interactions with the ship's rotating passengers, THE LEGEND OF 1900 comes from director Guiseppe Tornatore. When a deckhand, Boodman (Bill Nunn), discovers a newborn baby on January 1, 1900, he Christens him Danny Boodman T.D. Lemon 1900. A freak accident takes the life of the older Boodman, and 1900 (Tim Roth) is looked after by other members of the ship's crew. As he grows up, he learns to accept the crew as his family and the ship as his home. A glimpse of an individual playing a piano intrigues 1900, and before long he's a well-accomplished adult pianist. The legend reaches land and eventually earns 1900 visits from Jelly Roll Morton (Clarence Williams III) and a member of the music industry who wants to record him. The song that 1900 plays is dedicated to a beautiful young woman (Melanie Thierry) who threatens to lure him off the ship. Sheepishly, he stays. All of this is told in flashback, remembered by 1900's despondent friend Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince) as he prepares to pawn his trumpet. When he discovers that the ship is about to be sunk, he is convinced that 1900 is still on it somewhere and the frantic race is on to save his friend.