Watching this harrowing and often bizarre tale of survival, you can’t help but be reminded of Wolfgang Peterson’s The Perfect Storm. But while that was a thoroughly embellished and Hollywoodised retelling of a true-life nautical disaster, this Icelandic drama is a more grounded and genuine effort that doesn’t feel the need for copious amounts of glossy CGI or pampered A-listers trying to convince as grizzled fishermen.
It’s the true story of the 1984 sinking of a fishing boat off the coast of Iceland’s Westerman isles. The fishermen were all well known to the local community, who only became aware of the disaster when the sole survivor, shy and awkward giant of a man Gudlaugur “Gulli” Fridthórsson (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) turned up in town claiming to have swum home. At first the locals and authorities don’t believe him; the waters off the islands are so cold that people can typically only survive in them for a few minutes, yet he swam through them for over six hours. As his story is proved tragically true, he becomes a reluctant national hero even as scientists are baffled by his survival.
Actor turned director Baltasar Kormákur is best known for explosive action films, including recent Hollywood jobs Contraband and 2 Guns, but this is a much quieter and more contemplative work. It’s still infused with his slick kinetic style though; he lenses the jagged seascapes and volcanoes of his homeland with romantic bleakness and although the film is far from action packed the actual sinking of the ship is a heart-in-the-mouth moment that’s shocking in how fast it happens.
It would be hard to care about Gulli’s story if he wasn’t portrayed by such an incredible actor. With his hulking frame and features, which are unfavourably compared to a troll (not to mention his spellchecker nemesis name) Ólafur Darri Ólafsson would never get to play the lead in a Hollywood film so it’s a blessing that he’s been given this chance to shine. The entire film rests on his hairy shoulders and he absolutely kills it. There are several scenes that would either be unbearably sappy or laughably stupid in the hands of a lesser actor; such as when Gulli, on the brink of death from hypothermia, makes a series of deathbed confessions to a passing seagull. And if Ólafsson was a recognised Hollywood name then the scene in which he tries to explain to his crewmate’s children how their father died would certainly be his Oscar clip. As it is, if his turn in Contraband is anything to go by, his Hollywood adventures may just be limited to comedic sidekick roles, which would be a real injustice.
The Deep does have some minor flaws, one of which is the fact that, as absorbing and emotional as they are, the later scenes dealing with Gulli’s experiences back on dry-land as scientists struggle to comprehend his literally incredible story and he struggles with the unwanted media attention still feel like a bit of a sensory comedown after the knuckle-chewing tension of his struggle for survival. The first two acts are so viscerally enthralling that when the pace starts to wind down and we get into the how and why of his survival it’s unavoidably anticlimactic. But if the worst thing you can say about a film is that the first half is so gripping it takes away some of the impact of the second half, then you know you’re dealing with a winner.
Overall Verdict: The beautifully shot scenery and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson’s staggering performance will draw you in to this amazing true story of survival. It’s the kind of unsung movie that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible and should be sought out.
Special Features:
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Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon