Catching up on the great Canadian Nordic Noir-inspired series Cardinal,I took a look to see what BBC 4 were replacing it with. Recently seeing the better than expected (partly) based on a true story lost at sea flick In the Heart of the Sea,I was intrigued to find BBC 4 airing a lost at sea Nordic "ripped from the headlines" movie,which led to me going back into the sea.
The plot-
The Westman Islands 1984:
Waving goodbye to his family, Guðlaugur Friðþórsson goes and joins the rest of the crew so they can set off to sea. Going out deep into the oceans,the crew put the fishing nets out. Unexpectedly,causing the ship to sink. Getting his head above water, Friðþórsson witnesses the death of each fellow crew member. Looking across the waves.the only land Friðþórsson can see is a five hour swim away.
View on the film:
Lost at sea with Friðþórsson,co-writer/(with Jón Atli Jónasson) director Baltasar Kormákur makes pushes the viewer into the depths of the oceans,via thunderous waves lashing the camera and an icy score sharply being used to crack the shivering temperature against the rocks and the high winds. Looking at Kormákur's life on shore, Kormákur contrasts the clarity at sea with raw shot on VHS "flashbacks" which gives them a fading memory atmosphere.
Spending most of the film with Friðþórsson on his own,the screenplay by Jónasson & Kormákur impressively surfs a wave of tension from the memory of each fallen member bring the isolation home to Friðþórsson. Along with the failed sea adventure,the writers diving into Friðþórsson's family life heightens the emotion of each stroke Friðþórsson makes to survive. Before going to the US and becoming an Icelandic sex icon (!) Ólafur Darri Ólafsson gives an excellent performance as Friðþórsson,thanks to Ólafsson unleashing his roar for survival with a firm grip on the humble roots at home,as Friðþórsson finds himself lost at sea.
The plot-
The Westman Islands 1984:
Waving goodbye to his family, Guðlaugur Friðþórsson goes and joins the rest of the crew so they can set off to sea. Going out deep into the oceans,the crew put the fishing nets out. Unexpectedly,causing the ship to sink. Getting his head above water, Friðþórsson witnesses the death of each fellow crew member. Looking across the waves.the only land Friðþórsson can see is a five hour swim away.
View on the film:
Lost at sea with Friðþórsson,co-writer/(with Jón Atli Jónasson) director Baltasar Kormákur makes pushes the viewer into the depths of the oceans,via thunderous waves lashing the camera and an icy score sharply being used to crack the shivering temperature against the rocks and the high winds. Looking at Kormákur's life on shore, Kormákur contrasts the clarity at sea with raw shot on VHS "flashbacks" which gives them a fading memory atmosphere.
Spending most of the film with Friðþórsson on his own,the screenplay by Jónasson & Kormákur impressively surfs a wave of tension from the memory of each fallen member bring the isolation home to Friðþórsson. Along with the failed sea adventure,the writers diving into Friðþórsson's family life heightens the emotion of each stroke Friðþórsson makes to survive. Before going to the US and becoming an Icelandic sex icon (!) Ólafur Darri Ólafsson gives an excellent performance as Friðþórsson,thanks to Ólafsson unleashing his roar for survival with a firm grip on the humble roots at home,as Friðþórsson finds himself lost at sea.