Djúpið (The Deep) (2012, Dir. Balthazar Kormákur, Iceland) (Cert: 12a/Not Rated) ***

Starring: Ólafur Darri Ólalaffson, Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Jóhann G. Jóhannson

 

In 1984, a fishing vessel set off from Iceland’s isolated Westman Islands in the North Atlantic. Whilst in the ocean, the fishing net got snagged, causing the vessel to capsize with the crew dying of injuries, drowning or succumbing to the cold temperatures in the ocean. One lone survivor, ship’s cook, Gulli (Ólaffson) was able to make it to shore after swimming for hours. The act leaves the Icelandic nation shocked. How was a man like Gulli (overweight and far from a natural sailor) able to survive what would’ve almost certainly killed anyone else?

 

Based on a true story, The Deep is a beautiful looking film, but despite its name there isn’t actually much depth. The shipwreck, which essentially starts the main story, doesn’t occur until a significant amount of the film has passed by. This would be a great time to build character development but beyond a few basic establishing lines and actions, we never truly get a sense of identity and so the shipwreck feels less harrowing than intended. However, following this rather flawed preamble we do get a story that delves into an important and interesting question. What is it like to survive something that almost certainly should’ve killed you and how do you cope with the aftermath? The sense of melancholy carries through the film, which may make some people disappointed that this isn’t as life-affirming as such films tend to be, though it’s hardly ‘downer’ material, either. As mentioned, the film looks great and even skips interestingly between the glossy cinematography (such as absolutely staggering view of the Northern Lights) to a much more grainy aesthetic in flashbacks, seemingly mixed in with some genuine footage of the aftermath of a volcanic eruption (it’s an equally astounding sight to see entire streets and houses, almost completely consumed with volcanic ash). Often times, The Deep impresses, but there’s not much there to sustain interest and more could’ve been to done to expand the characters.