Not to be confused with the Peter Benchley-inspired Hollywood film of the same name, THE DEEP is one of those tales which through a combination of brilliant photography and taut structure is guaranteed to attract critical plaudits.
Shot in a series of grays and blues, appropriate to its locations, Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson's cinematography conjures up a world where human beings are quite literally at the mercy of the elements: despite their sophisticated devices for communicating or for carrying out their daily responsibilities, they have no answer to the power of the sea. We realize from this film that humankind is no more than a pawn in a greater elemental game.
Having said that, I am still unsure as to whether the film has anything more to say. At heart it's a masculine-focused tale of comradeship, in a profession where people have few friends, due to the precariousness of their work. They never know if and whether they will return; and if they do, there is no guarantee of future work. Buffeted by the sea and by the pressures of making a living, the fishermen inhabit their own world; they try to keep memories of their home lives through letters - or even taking a dog with them - but these mementos are insignificant in comparison to the rigors of their profession.
In its downbeat way, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson's central characterization is certainly memorable, but we end up feeling sorry that he and his fellow fishermen have to put their lives so regularly on the line just to make ends meet.
Shot in a series of grays and blues, appropriate to its locations, Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson's cinematography conjures up a world where human beings are quite literally at the mercy of the elements: despite their sophisticated devices for communicating or for carrying out their daily responsibilities, they have no answer to the power of the sea. We realize from this film that humankind is no more than a pawn in a greater elemental game.
Having said that, I am still unsure as to whether the film has anything more to say. At heart it's a masculine-focused tale of comradeship, in a profession where people have few friends, due to the precariousness of their work. They never know if and whether they will return; and if they do, there is no guarantee of future work. Buffeted by the sea and by the pressures of making a living, the fishermen inhabit their own world; they try to keep memories of their home lives through letters - or even taking a dog with them - but these mementos are insignificant in comparison to the rigors of their profession.
In its downbeat way, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson's central characterization is certainly memorable, but we end up feeling sorry that he and his fellow fishermen have to put their lives so regularly on the line just to make ends meet.