Another film about the human spirit’s ability to persevere we do not need, yet here we are again.
In the straights on Sumatra off the coast of Indonesia a lone
sailor (Robert Redford) awakens to find his sailboat's cabin filling fast with sea water. A
massive whole has been torn through the side after a freak,
overnight collision with a rogue shipping container. In the vastness of the
Indian Ocean the spectacular odds of this collision’s happening seem
staggering, and yet this is only the beginning of the misadventure.
After patching up the side of the boat, even despite the total loss of
all modern navigation equipment, the danger seems to cease. For a moment
it seems like all that’s left is for the lone sailor to venture into the nearest port and
seek repairs, but of course we know this is not the story.
Before we start the film, just from the title alone, we know
what the outcome will be, yet despite the unoriginal plot and standard
shipwreck story conventions, the film succeeds. Fantastically succeeds.
Almost completely devoid of dialogue, Robert Redford exudes a
stolid, matter-of-fact persona in the face of catastrophe. He toils steadily,
remaining steadfast in his manner. It is exhausting just watching him labor
endlessly and even though he is performing, this performance cannot really be
considered acting. Simply going through the motions of this role is enough to
exude awe, especially when he is being thrown around wildly by the untamed, open ocean;
the work that it must have taken to play this role is obvious and seems to
strip away acting practices; what we really see is a man just trying not to
die.
9/10
