The Deep
Written by Jón Atli Jónasson and Baltasar Kormákur
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur
Iceland, 2012
Best known in the English-speaking world for his Hollywood thriller, Contraband, starring Mark Wahlberg, Baltasar Kormákur returns to his native Iceland to direct the tale of one of its modern legends. In 1984, a fishing boat sunk off the coast of Westman Islands, killing its entire crew with the sole exception of the unassuming Gulli (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson). Incredibly, despite being overweight and a heavy drinker, he survived by swimming for up to six hours through the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, becoming a national hero and scientific phenomenon in the process.
Having introduced the characters via a night of debauchery in the harbour, the film sustains the claustrophobic atmosphere of the trawler right up until the point disaster strikes. Rather than using tanks, Kormákur bravely opts to shoot the shipwreck scenes out in the water where the original events took place, lending authenticity and genuine force to the action. Unfortunately, once Gulli is stranded and forced to make for the shore alone, the tension gradually dissipates; Ólafsson is a fine actor and carries the film well, but can only do so much while bobbing up and down in a dark, monotonous ocean. Impressive aerial shots capture his insignificance against the vast mass of water, but the close-ups are invariably disappointing. This sequence is also broken up by a series of flashbacks, presented through nostalgic Super 8-style images, depicting a devastating volcanic eruption that struck the islands when Gulli was a child.
The Deep is floundering at this point, struggling to establish momentum, but is rejuvenated when Gulli reaches land. Tossed up against the rocks by the relentless ocean, he scrambles through the harsh terrain, leaving the soles of his feet torn and bleeding. The stunning cinematography captures the extreme variety of the landscape and the constant threat posed by the freezing conditions. It is by far the film’s most impressive sequence; for the first time we are able to grasp the magnitude of what Gulli is going through and the strength of mind he requires to get himself home.
The second half of The Deep focuses on Gulli’s newfound fame and the various experiments he participates in for a fascinated scientist. Some scenes are meticulously reproduced from television footage of the original events, demonstrating an admirable commitment to authenticity, but this does not result in great storytelling. Strangely, Kormákur does not seem at all interested in the emotional impact of the disaster, which leaves the audience very little to engage with. There are some psychologically revealing moments, such as Gulli’s firsthand account of the story from his hospital bed, but these are few and far between. Ólafsson is excellent in the leading role, putting in an understated performance as the amiable everyman, but, overall, the film fails to live up to its obvious potential. Frustratingly, it takes on the character of its reluctant hero, well-meaning, modest and unpretentious, but lacking ambition and genuine thrills.
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