Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, 2012): Norway

Reviewed by Alexander Berg.  Viewed at: Lobero, Santa Barbara

This is a highly inspirational film that takes us on a journey which we’ve never seen before. Based on true events we go along on a trip crossing the pacific ocean in a wooden raft back in the 1940’s. This movie has drama, reality and beautiful cinematography, everything you could ask for.

This film explores the life of Thor Heyerdahl, mostly through his expedition on a raft from Peru to Polynesia. The film is based on true events and is partly what you could say a remake of the original Kon-Tiki (1947) which was a documentary shot during the trip by the swedish anthropologist Bengt Danielsson during the real trip.

We start off in the late 40’s and  follow his life prior to the expedition, we learn about his relationship with his wife and his kids. He comes to New York to prove that Polynesia was populated by the South Americans in the pre-columbian times. In lack of proof none believes him making him realize that he must do the expedition himself to prove it, people believe it’s a suicide mission. He struggles with funding and finding a good crew, at last he meets a refrigerator seller who wants to come along and help him. At last they sets off together with the help of Thors childhood friends making a crew of 5. We follow their struggle to get the right bearing, their problems with radio connection, danagerous sea creatures and morale. Does anyone really believe it’s going to work?

This film is really well made despite it’s relatively low budget of 16 600 000 dollars. The cinematography and set design in this film is beautiful and clever. With well made CGI, a 1949 New York City and a boat in the middle of the pacific ocean everything really plays off well.  The one thing that struck me the most with the cinematography was how clever they placed the sun in each of the scenes in the beginning of the film. Early on we learn that the South Americans sailed towards the setting sun as they settled Polynesia and though out the film as he is trying to get people to believe him and fund his project he is always facing the sun. Clearly showing us his beliefs and as the others many times have the sun in their back it is showing us that they didn’t believe the same thing. This I find is one of those small invaluable things that the cinematographer puts into the film in a subtle yet obvious way.

The film is about one mans journey and what we have to sacrifice to get there. It shows us the importance of friendships and belief in one another. This is as much of  a physical journey as it is an emotional. Obviously this a highly dramatized version of the real experiences of Thor Heyerdahl, a documentary put into feature film format which gives us the hint that what we see might not always have been exactly what happened but the points still comes across really well. I still felt like I was back in the 40’s following Thor on his journey through life and the pacific ocean. This film is as much of a tribute to him as it is to all explorers and people who has a belief, to never give up. This man did what none believed could be done and he was willing to sacrifice everything he had to prove it to the world and to himself. THis is the film about a true leader.

This is by far one of the best films of 2012 and to show at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, I would deeply recommend anyone who can to see this beautiful piece of artwork if they get the chance. This is a history lesson as well as a tribute to one of the greatest explorers of all time.