Based on a true story, The Wave is a Norwegian drama film that addresses the danger of a Norwegian mountain located in an area of high seismic activity. In addition, it is the first Scandinavian disaster film directed by Roar Uthaug in 2015, the year in which the filmmaker's career took a decisive turn. His new feature film has been selected to represent Norway in the race for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
The Wawe is distinguished by its well-anchored sets
The Wave is a disaster film that aims to inform about the situation in which Norway finds itself, with more than 300 unstable mountainsides. Every year, faults 800 meters long move away by 15 centimeters. The question is not if it will happen but rather when. In Norway, many cities are threatened by a tsunami risk. This is what director Roar Uthaug tried to convey to us in this film, which takes place mainly in Norway and Slovakia. Without frills present in some American blockbusters such as 2012 by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, White House Down) or The Impossible by Juan Antonio Bayona, this film with beautiful natural landscapes stands out thanks to a striking realism.
Unexpected actors
Kristian, played by Kristoffer Joner (The Revenant), plays the role of a father desperate to save his family. For his part, his wife Idun (Ane Dahl Torp) does the same and brings to the film her strong character and determination to fight this destructive wave.Throughout the film, the viewer is kept in suspense by the plight of this couple who are trying to save their family and their city. The mountain also holds a main role despite appearances. Indeed, the inhabitants of the peaceful Norwegian town of Geiranger did not expect to have immediately, the arrival of the wave that was imminent. It is also she who leads the boat in this film since she establishes a countdown of 10 minutes and imposes a progressive dramatic rhythm.
Striking special effects
The monstrous tsunami, long awaited throughout the film, makes its sensational entrance during the final part of it. It is from the top of its 80 meters that the devastating wave makes its entrance, due to a landslide. The scene is dramatized by the slow descent of the rock, into the lake of the small Norwegian town called Geiranger. We then witness a low-angle scene, in wide shot, worthy of an end-of-the-world movie, with a wave breaking over a small town and devouring everything in its path. We can also compare this scene to the one present in The Impossible by Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) released in 2012. However, in Roar Uthaug's feature film, the arrival of the wave is dramatized and therefore much more impressive and powerful.
After a huge success at the Norwegian box office in 2015, with nearly a million admissions in theaters, this disaster film without pretension or phenomenal budget manages to captivate the viewer. Its rhythm, favoring suspense and anxiety, allows a titanic arrival of the fascinating wave so dreaded.
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