Every survival story, if done well, puts you in the place of the person's struggle and travails. Some do this better than others. I likely would not have decided to view this if not for the casting of Mads Mikkleson in the lead role. The man is one compelling actor.
The abbreviated introduction to the survival situation - we are basically dumped into the crash site with Mikkleson carving a distress signal out of the ice - is brilliant. No need for a long intro as to how or why he found himself in this pickle. Likewise, the abbreviated ending allows you to accurately assume the outcome.
It is the hour and a half in between that draws you in and captures the intensity of the need to survive. But more than that, it is a story of a man's need to have more to live for than just his own life. Early on, a rescue helicopter appears in response to his distress signals, gets caught in a nasty wind shear and crashes. The pilot is dead on impact and the female copilot is severely injured. The added element of rescuing the would be rescuer now becomes paramount in his struggle and makes this drama all the more compelling. Now he has her needs to consider and this is where the story line gets really interesting. Her complete helplessness and reliance on him makes him do things he would never have needed to do were it only his own life at stake. You find yourself asking the same questions - what now do I do? Do I make every effort to keep her alive or do I press on alone, knowing it will likely kill us both?
Well worth the watch.
The abbreviated introduction to the survival situation - we are basically dumped into the crash site with Mikkleson carving a distress signal out of the ice - is brilliant. No need for a long intro as to how or why he found himself in this pickle. Likewise, the abbreviated ending allows you to accurately assume the outcome.
It is the hour and a half in between that draws you in and captures the intensity of the need to survive. But more than that, it is a story of a man's need to have more to live for than just his own life. Early on, a rescue helicopter appears in response to his distress signals, gets caught in a nasty wind shear and crashes. The pilot is dead on impact and the female copilot is severely injured. The added element of rescuing the would be rescuer now becomes paramount in his struggle and makes this drama all the more compelling. Now he has her needs to consider and this is where the story line gets really interesting. Her complete helplessness and reliance on him makes him do things he would never have needed to do were it only his own life at stake. You find yourself asking the same questions - what now do I do? Do I make every effort to keep her alive or do I press on alone, knowing it will likely kill us both?
Well worth the watch.
Tell Your Friends