Summary
A man’s story of survival in the brutal arctic.
My Thoughts
The survival movie is a bit of a tired genre, but one that isn't going away any time soon. Audiences love a good story of life and death, humans against the brutality of nature, and if done right I'm one of those audience members. From 'Cast Away' to 'All is Lost' and 'The Grey' the survival movie not only seems to be staying afloat in a bloated genre pool, but thriving. Arctic is no exception, this is an exceptionally made survival thriller from first time director Joe Penna. From the opening shot the entire plot is set up, a plane has crashed and someone has survived (Mads Mikkelsen, “King Arthur”, “At Eternity’s Gate”), and must continue to survive in the unforgiving harshness of the arctic. Over a series of events Mads finds another survivor, who is mortally wounded, and makes the impossible choice to take her into his care and somehow find a way for both to survive.
While in “All is Lost” it takes a good while for the tension is ramp up, Arctic begins with tension and never really let's go. Within the first ten minutes we see Mads tracking a massive polar bear, keeping an eye as to how close the beast is. It's a simple scene, but the atmosphere is thick with dread so it's clear later on there will be a confrontation. Other moments are truly white knuckle, Mads attempting to pull a human with supplies on a sled up a 90 degree vertical Cliff for instance. Then there are the subtle moments, very few words, but the silence is it's own character. It's in these moments when Mads is taking care of the survivor that this movie takes form, showing real human emotion to make this harrowing story hit home. The viewer is constantly putting themselves in that place, asking the what ifs and how's, it brings a whole new appreciation to the human spirit.
The frozen tundra of the arctic is one of the most unforgiving and relentless places to be lost and trapped, it's a place largely unexplored by man, and one wrong move it's game over. The imagery is massive and beautiful, but also cold and brutal, some shots look otherworldly, vast mountainscapes and valleys of snow encapsulate this rugged terrain and it's a stunning sight to behold. It's nice while watching from the comfort of a warm house, I can't imagine how gruelling filming must have been in the subzero temperatures, but this movies is always bold and that's what makes it superior for it's genre. There are only a few instances that are unbelievable (there's no way he'd be walking on that leg), but even then the human will is truly remarkable as this story's message portrays. It's hard to believe this is from a first time director, there's so much heart, drama and intensity in such a short runtime with so little dialogue that it seems a hard feat to pull off for a greenhorn, but Joe Penna does a magnificent job, using all of the elements to his advantage and crafting a really great survival story.
Mads Mikkelsen is an impressive actor, in fact he's one of the best in the industry today. He proves a force to be reckoned with in just about every roll he plays (except “Doctor Strange”, f*ck you Disney!), whether it be an innocent man accused of a terrible crime (“The Hunt”), or that he secretly eats humans (Hannibal, tragically underrated TV series) Mikkelsen is always up for the task. In Arctic he has only a few lines, so his performance is strictly facial and physical for most of the duration, and still every moment oozes with realism. When he tries all he can to wave down a rescue helicopter, his urgency and exhaustion are felt beyond the screen. There's a moment when he finds a heat source and he puts his hands over the small flame, the relief and gratefulness shown in his face is real, there's nothing farce about this performance, it's as if Mikkelsen was out in these terrible conditions by himself, and we are just lucky enough to see it. I always look forward to whatever projects Mads Mikkelsen is apart of, he always brings a new dimension into his films, good or bad.
Arctic is a superior survival film, which is saying a lot because really a lot of these films are generally pretty good. What makes Arctic stand above the others is it's sheer ambition and subversion, this setting is one not usually filmed in isolation, it was a dangerous shoot window I'm sure and the viewer is rewarded to an ultimately cathartic experience. So much could have gone wrong, but from what little supplements the Blu Ray provided, it seems everything went smoothly which is incredible. Such risk involved in this film, especially from a first time director, is immense, but with the risks come the rewards and this movie is definitely worthy. The cinematography is gorgeous and haunting, portraying life in a lifeless setting. Mads Mikkelsen is typically amazing as the title character, the physicality he puts into this role is astounding, and his quiet, subtle moments is when the human connection really shines. There are some moments that exceed the grasp of plausibility, but it's easy to push that aside as the overall message
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