A clever portrayal of a true story about a fisherman who survives for several hours in the North Atlantic after his boat capsizes.
The makers of The Deep resisted the temptation to make this a simple hero- worship survival story. Instead it's much more nuanced.
Yes, there is a thrilling sequence showing the capsizing of the boat, the terror of being alone in the freezing ocean, and the hours of clamouring over rocks to safety. But this is bookended by an opening which portrays the far-from-perfect lives of the Icelanders and the bleak but spectacular land they live in, and by a really interesting ending which shows what happens to Gulli after his recovery.
This latter sequence is a tragic tale of the scientific interest in Gulli's survival, which results in him becoming a plaything of the science community and media. He even travels to London to participate in more experiments, all of which seemingly turn out to be of limited practical use.
Gulli is in danger of becoming seen as a curiosity, a freak of nature. But it's his own simple humanity that rescues him from this rat race. It's not exactly a happy ending, but there is a nice redemptive feel to his interaction with the family of one of the dead fishermen.
The Deep is a good movie that treats its subject with a good balance of awe and sensitivity.
The makers of The Deep resisted the temptation to make this a simple hero- worship survival story. Instead it's much more nuanced.
Yes, there is a thrilling sequence showing the capsizing of the boat, the terror of being alone in the freezing ocean, and the hours of clamouring over rocks to safety. But this is bookended by an opening which portrays the far-from-perfect lives of the Icelanders and the bleak but spectacular land they live in, and by a really interesting ending which shows what happens to Gulli after his recovery.
This latter sequence is a tragic tale of the scientific interest in Gulli's survival, which results in him becoming a plaything of the science community and media. He even travels to London to participate in more experiments, all of which seemingly turn out to be of limited practical use.
Gulli is in danger of becoming seen as a curiosity, a freak of nature. But it's his own simple humanity that rescues him from this rat race. It's not exactly a happy ending, but there is a nice redemptive feel to his interaction with the family of one of the dead fishermen.
The Deep is a good movie that treats its subject with a good balance of awe and sensitivity.